others euen in priuate houses and families The Law of God and man allow not nay they condemne the common practice of brawling fighting quarrelling or challenging one of another into the field for priuate and personall wrongs whereby the seedes of murther and shedding of blood are sowne which soone grow vp to ripenesse and perfection and yeelde a dolefull haruest of sorrow and repentance when it is too late if they bee not weeded out of the heart betimes Whosoeuer shall thinke it a disgrace to refuse such challenges let them also thinke it a disgrace to walke in the wayes of God and to obey the good Edicts of Princes and the wholesome lawes of the Commonwealth It is the greatest grace that can be to yeeld obedience to God and contrariwise it is no credite to sinne against him to saue and salue vp a supposed honour and reputation among men It is the duty therefore of all that liue in priuate societies when they haue hard or wrong measure offered vnto them to go to their fathers or masters for they are Magistrates in the house and are within their owne doores as Kings to rule and Officers to gouerne and no man ought to reuenge his owne cause and quarrel he is as a Marshal to right euery mans cause that is vnder his roofe and to maintaine their credite and reputation The causes of these duels are euill Zedegin loc commun pag. 457. sometimes pride vain-glory sometimes couetousnesse and greedinesse of gaine and the cause of all these causes the diuell himselfe who was a murtherer from the beginning The effects thereof are no better for they cause deadly feudes breed hatred neuer to be appeased nourish contention and confusion hinder prayer and holy exercises of Religion shed mans blood made in the Image of God and bring downe the vengeance of God vpon our owne heads For how often doe such quarrels beginne with brawling and end in blood which once being spilled cannot be gathered vp Let all such therefore as eyther challenge or accept of challenges consider this point that hee which killeth maketh himselfe guilty of execrable murther before God and the blood so shed cryeth as it were with a loud voyce against him to heauen and neuer ceaseth till it hath called downe vengeance and touching him that is killed let him know that he is no better then one of the martyrs of the diuell For as God hath his Martyrs that dye in his cause What we are to thinke of Duellists so the diuell also hath his martyrs that dye in his cause and such as shed their blood are the diuels executioners and no better We can hold no other opinion either of the one or of the other neyther of him that killeth nor of him that is killed whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues and therefore let them looke to it that are so prodigall of their liues or of the liues of others 3 Our father dyed in the wildernesse and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselues together against the Lord in the company of Korah but dyed in his owne sinne and had no sonnes 4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family because hee hath c. 5 And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. The plea of the daughters oâ— Zelophehad In these words the daughters of Zelophehad plead their own cause to haue their part in the diuision of the land not to be shut out from their inheritance The plea is good and well grounded and they vse sundry reasons of no small importance First because their father dyed in the wildernesse in his iourney toward the land of Canaan and therefore the same inheritance that was due vnto him being aliue should not be denyed to his issue being dead For seeing hee died in the way before any of the Israelites could take possession of the land of promise hee could leaue to his daughters nothing but the promise of GOD and a liuely faith appprehending the same which no doubt was truly grafted in them or else they would neuer haue beene so earnest in this matter but haue let it alone till the conquest of the land and the displanting of the Canaanites They plead that he was not partaker with Korah in his conspiracy but dyed in his owne sinne that is as all other men do and must do that are sinners forasmuch as the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6 27. Now vnder this conspiracy of Korah heere expressed we must vnderstand all other mutinies of the same nature that he ioyned not with any in their rebellions neyther was partaker with any seditious persons whereby hee should deserue to be excluded from his possession of the land If any aske Obiect why this conspiracy of Korah is named and singled out aboue any of the rest of the murmurings which were many and of many I answere first because this was late and yet fresh in remembrance Secondly Answer it was more eminent then any of the rest and as it were swallowed vp the memory of all the former Thirdly because it seemeth hee died at the same time that Korahs treachery brake out and therefore hee might more easily bee thought to bee destroyed with them But though he dyed at the same time yet he died not of the same crime as likewise it fell out that Methushelah died immediatly before the flood it might be after it began to raine vpon the face of the earth but was not swept away with the flood And heere it is not to be forgotten that some of the Hebrewes as also we noted before chap. 15 21 are of opinion that this Zelophehad was the man that gathered stickes vpon the Sabbath day others thinke Vatabl aâ—â—â—â— in hunc locum that he was one of them that died by the biting stinging of the fiery serpents chap. 21 6. But the purpose of his daughters was to bring to their remembrance that their father had committed no act whereby his issue should bee denyed or debarred of their inheritance because he died a naturall death and went the way of all flesh and when he had serued his time was gathered to his fathers An other reason is because he left behind him no sons or heires males of his body lawfully begotten whereby it might and would come to passe that the name of a family in Israel should perish if no portion of the inheritance were assigned to his daughters In al this plea we may perceiue in them a notable example of honouring parents in that they are careful that the Name of their father should not be buried in perpetuall forgetfulnes but bee honourably remembred preserued which all ought to follow Likewise an example of faith beleeuing the promise of God for except they had assured their hearts that God would performe his promise and make good the wordes of his owne mouth spoken to Abraham Isaac and Iacob they would neuer haue made such
we offer no hard measure vnto the messengers of God lest we make our selues guilty of insurrection and rebellion against God and of resisting his will forasmuch as we shall answere vnto him for this sin committed with an high hand Let vs remember the saying of Christ touching the Ministers of the word Ioh. 13.20 Verily verily I say vnto you he that receiueth whomsoeuer I send receiueth me and he that receiueth me receiueth him that sent me Heere are three persons named and ioyned together that are receiued the seruant the Lord Iesus and the heauenly Father He that receiueth and entertaineth one of the 〈◊〉 â—aketh them altogether he that receiâ—eth the seruant receiueth the Lord he that admitteth the least admitteth withall the greatest of them as Christ himselfe speaketh That which ye haue done to the least of my brethren ye haue done to me Reuel 3.20 If any were asked the question whether he would willingly open the dore to Christ and sup with him when he commeth vnto vs standing at the doore knocking and desiring to be admitted of vs he would answere We would haue him to dwell with vs to reigne ouer vs we would reioyce to see him come vnder our roofe And if we should be charged to stoppe our eares and to pull away our shoulders and to refuse to hearken vnto his voyce and to make him dance our attendance without the dores as if he were a stranger to vs and we strangers vnto him we would complaine of great wrong done vnto vs and say we were notably abused But hereby we are to try our selues as gold is by the touchstone we must measure our affection to Christ by our affection to his Ministers if we receiue the Lord we must for his sake entertaine his seruants Besides this order is to be obserued in the receiuing albeit the Lord Iesus be the sender yet first of al we must receiue the seruant that is the Minister and then the master himselfe For marke this that Christ doth not say hee that receiueth me receiueth the Minister whoÌ„ I send vnto you but contrariwise He that receiueth him whom I shall send receiueth me On the other side whosoeuer refuseth one of these refuseth them all ioyntly together he that refuseth the least of them refuseth the greatest as at the last iudgement Christ shall say Matth. 25.45 Inasmuch as ye haue not done it to one of these little ones ye haue not done it to me It is a vaine pretense and friuolous excuse to surmise that wee loue the Lord Iesus the shepheard of the sheepe when we reiect the Ministers of the word that seeke to make vs of the number of his sheepe and to bring vs home into the sheepefold If then none do receiue the Lord Iesus but such as receiue his Ministers the number is smal of those that entertain Christ whatsoeuer they think of themselues or howsoeuer they glory in themselues Vse 2 Secondly this doctrine serueth for reproofe of sundry abuses and grosse corruptions The measure which we mete to the Ministers of God is mete to God himselfe which first meeteth with those that excuse their contempt of the ministery of man The first reproofe and say If we had the Lord himselfe present among vs we would heare him and doe all to please him They do deceiue themselues and teach their tongue to lie For learne this of me and set it downe as a certaine rule Whosoeuer receiue not the seruant will not receiue the master himselfe He that regardeth not to heare him that is sent will not respect him that is the sender of him He that doth kill the seruant would also put the Lord himselfe to death if hee were able The reason is because the hatred of the Lord is the originall cause of hatred against the seruant so that they persecute the seruant for the Lords sake We know the parable of the vineyard let out to vnthankefull husbandmen Marke 12.1 The labourers caught the seruants and beate them Ver. 4. they handled them shamefully and killed some of them but did they entreat any better their masters onely begotten Sonne and heire when he came among them No they said among themselues This is the heire Come let vs kill him Ver. 7. Ver. 8. and the inheritance shall be ours so they tooke him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard True it is no man is so prophane to vtter such reproachfull and blasphemous words against Christ Iesus nor so desperately giuen ouer to all wickednesse to say openly in the audience of all men Let vs kill him but if they would take notice of their secret corruptions and examine their inward thoughts they should find as little loue to the Lord as they beare to his Ministers and when they contemptibly vse the one they spitefully hate the other Hence it is that Stephen reproouing his persecuters that would seeme iealous of the Law Actes 7.52 ioyneth these two together and maketh them walke hand in hand one with another the persecution of the Prophets and the murthering and making away of him that is the head of the Prophets Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted and they haue slaine them which shewed before of the comming of that Iust One of whom ye haue beene now the betrayers and murtherers Where we see that the betraying of the Lord and the euill intreating of the seruant are sinnes neere of kin so that the one springeth from the other If then God account that done to himselfe that is done to his Ministers he wil bring them to a new account that neuer set themselues in the presence of God when they are to heare his word The Israelites could not abide to heare the voyce of God that shewed it selfe in fearefull manner but desired that Moses might speake vnto them if they should heare him speaking vnto them againe they should die Exod. 20.19 It is Gods great mercy to speake vnto vs by men subiect to the same infirmities that we are Let not vs abuse his goodnesse and contemne his word reiect his Ministers forasmuch as the contempt of them is ioined not only with the contempt of his ordinance but also with the contempt of his person Secondly The second reproofe it reprooueth such as regard not what they say vnto them neither care for the words that come out of their mouthes whether it bee word of promise or of threatning whether of exhortation or of reprehension whether of peace and reconciliation or of warre and euill tidings whether of ioy and gladnesse or burdens and yokes of punishment heauy to beare These thinke and perswade themselues that they haue to doe onely with men and are not guilty of any contempt against God but they are greatly deceiued and shall one day know that they despise not the word of mortall man but of the almighty and eternall God Hence it is that we are charged on the contrary to take
know him in his kingdome For the word is the path way that leadeth vnto it and therefore is called the Gospell of the Kingdome This teacheth vs to consider diligently the saying of Christ Iohn 17. Iohn 17 3. This is eternall life that they know thee to be the only very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ If then we desire eternall life we must labour to know God lest he say to vs in his wrath Wherein the knowledge of God consisteth Depart from me I know you not This knowledge of God necessarily required of vs consisteth in these points following First we must confesse acknowledge him to be the soueraign and highest good Dan. 4 32. incomparison of whom 〈◊〉 things are reputed as nothing being as drosse drauery and nothing to be desired with him as Christ saith Why callest thou me good Math. 19 17 there is none good but one euen God If we equall ought with him or preferre any thing in heauen or earth before him wee are ignorant of him and know him not Secondly it behoueth vs to depend vpon him and to put our whole trust in him alone not in any man or Angell for then we make flesh our strength and so leane vpon a broken staffe that cannot stay vs but will deceiue vs. Thirdly wee must draw neere vnto him in time of need as to the fountaine of all goodnesse with all reuerence and humility crauing all things of him by hearty and feruent prayer If we call vpon him hee hath promised to reueale himselfe vnto vs. Fourthly we must giue him thankes for all blessings receiued from him not only in prosperity but in aduersity Now wee shall shew our selues thanâ—full vnto him by dooing that which he commandeth by auoyding that which he forbiddeth by praising and aduancing his name for all his works whether they be works of his mercy or whether they be works of his iustice in correcting of his Children and in punishing his enemies Fiftly we must seeke the knowledge of his waies word and increase in the knowledge thereof which bringeth vs to eternall life As we grow forward in knowledge so wee grow forward vnto life and when our knowledge shall be perfected then our life shal be perfected in the next world Now if eternall life consist in this knowledge doubtlesse death is to be found in the ignorance of God The Apostle ioyneth these two as companions together ignorance and death They haue their vnderstanding darkned Ephes 4 38. heere is the ignorance of God are strangers from the life of God here is death For the priuation or want of the life of God is eternal death Wherfore whosoeuer desireth to liue the life of God must auoid ignorance which is the forerunner cause of death And what is the darknesse of ignorance as it were a mist before our eies but the beginning of vtter darknesse in the pit of destruction where shall be weeping gnashing of teeth Hence it is that Christ saith Iohn 10 When he hath sent foorth his owne sheepe Iohn 10.4.5 hee goeth before them and the sheepe follow him for they know his voyce and they will not follow a stranger but they flie from him for they know not the voyce of strangers If then we would approoue our selues to be the sheepe of Christ wee must haue this eare-mark we must know his voice we must heare his word wee must partake his Sacraments otherwise we shall be Goats not Sheepe Many there are that would bee accounted Sheepe but they want this badge cognizance they are not hearers but contemners of his word they follow not Christ Iesus the Shepheard but flye from him they know not his voyce they are not acquainted with his call but they thinke themselues in the best case when they are farthest off from the hearing of it The Lord calleth vs by his worde the preaching of the Gospell is his voice if we regard it not woe be vnto vs we exclude our selues from his Sheep-fold and renounce our beeing in the number of his Sheepe Lastly we must yeeld all obedience vnto him and his word For as all his Sheep are hearing Sheepe and none of them deafe dull eared so are all obedient Sheepe They haue their eares opened which maketh them hearers and they haue them bored to their heart which maketh them obedient and to offer vp themselues as a sacrifice well pleasing vnto God But all our hearing shall hinder vs and serue to further and increase our condemnation vnlesse we ioyne vnto it a carefull obedience according to the doctrine of the Apostle Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely Iam. 1.22 deceiuing your owne selues If these things be found in vs then we know God aright then we may be assured wee shall be knowne by him and not denied of him This is that vse which Christ himselfe toucheth Iohn 10. I am the good Shepheard and know mine and am knowne of mine Where we see that the consideration of Gods acknowledging vs to bee his should bee a forcible meanes to make vs endeuour to know him For who are wee that he should know vs Yea what is man that he should be mindfull of him or the son of man that he should consider him Wee are dust and asâ—es rottennesse and corruption yea lighter then vanity no better then enemies to him and the heires of wrath as well as others Seeing therefore the bountifulnesse and loue of God toward vs hath appeared so that of his mercy not our merits hee hath saued vs by â—he wash ng of the new birth Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the holy Ghost let vs passe our pilgrimage heere in feare and aboue all things let vs labor to know him in his owne ordinances and to seâ—kâ— the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse that in the end of our dayes we may be knowne of him to his glory and our endlesse comfort in Christ Iesus our blessed Lord and Sauiour Verse 17. Then Moses and Aaron tooke these men which are expressed by their names 18. And they called all the Congregation together in the first day of the second Month who declared the r kindreds by their families and by the houses of their Fathers according to the number of their names from twenty yeare and aboue man by man 19. As the Lord had commanded Moses so he numbred them in the wildernesse of Sanai HItherto we haue heard and handled the Commandement of God The obedieÌ„ce of Moses and Aaron requiring Moses and Aaron to number the people now followeth their obedience without any delaying or deferring the matter It is meete that the seruants obey the commandement of their Maister and that subiects perfourme the decrees of their Princes Hence it is that Moses taking to him Aaron and the heads of the Tribes do addresse themselues to take a suruay of the people discharging their duty with all diligence He doth not
beastlinesse one with another whereby man with man wrought filthinesse receiued in themselues such recompence of their error as was meet their sinnes were fulnesse of bread abundance of idlenesse contempt of the poore and pride of life yet Capernaum treading vnder foote the glorious Gospell and despising the word of saluation was the greater sinner against which sort of sinners the Apostles were cōmanded to shake off the dust of their feete as a witnesse against them the which sheweth the horriblenesse of their sinne that make no reckoning of the preaching of Gods word offered vnto them to reconcile them to God Sodome had the light of nature that shined in their harts and preached within their consciences in that they were men that those sinnes were vnlawfull of which the Apostle sayeth That light shineth in the darknesse Iohn 1 5. and the darknesse comprehended it not but Capernaum had a greater and perfecter light euen the light of grace to teach them and the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine vpon them which far excelled the other and gaue them a more certaine direction to leade their liues Sodome indeede had Lot an holy and righteous man among them 2 Pet. 2 8. whose soule they vexed from day to day by their vncleane conuersations but Capernaum had a greater then Lot they had the gracious presence of Christ Iesus whose word was with authority and not as the Scribes whose glory was as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne full of grace and truth Iohn 1 14. Againe Sodome had not so much as the types and shaddowes of the Law they wanted the sacrifices and ceremonies which the Iewes had but Capernaum had the body it selfe they saw him they touched him they heard him they handled him yet they repented not but remained disobedient Sodome had onely the making of the Creatures and the workmanship of the Heauens as Gods great booke to beholde and looke vpon to be their schoolemaisters instructers Psalme 19 1 Rom. 1 20 21. which declare the glory of God shew foorth his Deity but Capernaum had more euen a plaine path beaten before them to walk in and a sitte light to guide them in all their wayes the eternall word of God that endureth for euer If then Sodome shall be whipped surely Capernaum must be scourged If Sodome rebuked Capernaum punished If Sodome imprisoned and damned Capernaum shall bee throwne downe into the neathermost hell and gulfe of perdition If the burden laide vpon Sodome be greeuous that laid vpon Capernaum shall be more greeuous and intollerable For God will reward euery man according to his works so that with what measure wee mete Roman 2 6. with the same it shall bee measured to vs againe Sodome was the lesse sinner therefore liable to the lesse punishment Capernaum was the greater sinner a greater contemner of greater blessings and therefore guilty of the greater damnation To what end may some say doth this comparison serue or what haue we to do with Sodome which was consumed to ashes with fire and brimstone long agoe or what doth Capernaum belong to vs Yes it concerneth vs and if we change the names the times and the places this whole comparison teacheth vs wisedome and toucheth vs neerely For hath any nation vnder the heauens bin lifted vp higher toward the heauens then we Hath not the word bin plentifully preached among vs Haue we not had the Sacraments duely administred vnto vs Haue wee not receiued his mercies abundantly poured vpon vs yet what people hath bin more vnthankfull more disobedient more rebellious What could the Lord haue done for vs that he hath not done and shall we so reward him with vnkindnesse for his mercies Let vs take heed lest if we be like Capernaū in sin the threatning do fall vpon vs that it shal be easier for Sodome Gomorrah in the day of iudgment then for vs. For if Sodome did not escape the hand of God who had onely the light of nature not the lanthorne of the Scripture to shine among them to giue light vnto them how shall we escape or bee without excuse if we tread vnder foot the Son of God if we cast out of our hearts the Gospell of peace if we count the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing and do despite the Spirit of grace Thirdly The 3. reproof this doctrine reprooueth those that are ready to heare and content to obey but it is no farther then standeth with their owne lust and liking These are like Saul in obedience they thinke they haue great wrong to be charged with rebellion and disobedience they haue open mouthes to say 1 Sa. 15 13 20. Blessed art thou of the LORD I haue fulfilled the commandement of the Lord I haue obeyed the voyce of the Lord I haue gone the way which the Lord sent me c yet hee is there charged with treason and rebellion against God and threatned to haue the Kingdome rent frō him Thus is it with many in our daies they professe obedience but their life swarmeth with the fruits of disobedience like to the son who being commanded of his father to go work in his vineyard answerd I will Sir but he stood still went not Math. 21.30 These are they that draw neere to God with their mouth but are disobedient in deed their real disobedience shal procure a reall vengeance on them It is strange to see how many of this sort of men pretend a willingnesse to obey would be accounted in the number of obedient children as if they were wholly made of obedience and yet they will not submit themselues wholly to the will and pleasure of GOD but mince the matter and part stakes with God somewhat they will do to stop mens mouthes and to get the applause of the worlde and to be accounted religious but they are not minded to deale sincerely and entirely with God like those that hauing a iourney to goe are soone weary and stand still when they are gone halfe the way These are they that will not be Atheistes but haue the true God for their God yet do they loue their riches their pleasures their bellies and their delights aboue him Reuel 3 16. and set their affections wholly vpon them They cannot abide Idolatry nor to be esteemd idolaters yet they make no conscience of the worshippe of the true God of praying vnto him publiquely and priuately neglecting the ordinances of God hearing of his word reading meditation conference and such like helpes being in the number of those the Apostle reprooueth Rom. 2 22. Thou abhorrest Idols yet cōmittest sacriledge They will not forsweare themselues nor fall into periury but they wil sweare and lye too for an aduantage They will not seeme to abuse the titles of God and to take his name in vaine but yee shall heare them euen in their communication to sweare by their Faith and troth and they engage thē so long
heauen is not giuen but to those to whom it is prepared of the Father Matth. 20.23 and 25.34 But election is not of works but of grace and therefore is called the election of grace Rom. 11.5 This appeareth Ephe. 1. Ephe. 1 5.6 He hath predestinated vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will c. No man could be saued except Christ had come and had satisfied the iustice of God for the sinnes of the world by his precious blood for there is no other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued Act. 4.12 but all his benefites proceed from grace and the euerlasting loue of God toward vs as Ioh. 3. Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the word that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life No man can be saued except he be effectually called to Christ and his Gospel outwardly by the word and inwardly by the Spirit but whence proceedeth this grace but from grace as the Apostle testifieth 2 Tim. 1. 2 Tim. 1.9 Gal. 1.6 He hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was No man can be saued except he hath faith in Christ for the iust shall liue by faith Hab. 2.4 and without faith it is vnpossible to please God Heb. 11. But from whence haue we faith By grace as the Apostle witnesseth Ephe. 2. Ephe. 2.8 By grace ye are saued through faith that not of your selues None can be saued except he be iustified as Psa 34.15 16. The eies of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cry but the face of the Lord that is his anger and indignation is against them that do euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth But our iustification commeth from grace as Rom. 3. Rom. 3.24 We are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus No man can be saued except being iustified by faith he be also sanctified and renewed by the spirit of regeneration for except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Ioh. 3. But whence haue we this but from the grace of God as the Apostle expresseth Tit. 3. Tit. 3.6 The bountifulnesse and loue of God our Sauiour toward man appeared and according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour No man can be saued without good workes and a carefull and constant endeuour to walke in them for we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Ephe. 2.10 But how are wee inabled to performe them but by the grace and free gift of God as Ezek. 36. Eze. 36.26 â—â— A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you an heart of flesh and I wil put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my iudgements and doe them The like may bee saide of remission of sinnes No man can be saued without continuall forgiuenesse of sinnes for into many sinnes and offences we fall daily Iam 3.2 But this is giuen vs through his grace onely as the Prophet teacheth Esay 43. Esai 43.25 I euen I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake that is for no deserts of thine but thorough grace and fauour and will not remember thy sinnes and Ephe. 1.7 We haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace Lastly no man is saued except he perseuere and continue in faith in loue in Christ in repentance in Christ and in all good works as Matth. 24. he that endureth vnto the end he shall be saued and Reuel 2.10 Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life but from what root and fountaine proceedeth this gift and from whence hath it his beginning The Apostles and Prophets tel vs most plainely and directly as Iere. 32.39.40 Ier. 32.40 â— I will giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer I wil put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Phi. 1.6.29 and 2.13 God that hath begunne his good worke in his Saints will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Now as we haue said of all the rest so we may say of eternall life Rom. 6.23 that it is the free gift of God and therefore all his giftes and our saluation come not from our our merits but from his mercies not from our deseruings in whole or in part but from his free fauour in Christ Iesus Let vs come to the reasons and consider Reason 1 aright the causes hereof First of all God wil haue the praise and glory of his owne works and will not giue and grant ouer the same to another But if the graces of his Spirit were well deserued of vs and not freely bestowed vpon vs wee had matter of reioycing in our owne selues and of boasting against God The Apostle hauing shewed that the righteousnesse of God is made manifest without the Law saith Where is then the reioycing Rom. 3.27 and 4.2 It is excluded And touching Abraham thâ— father of the faithfull he sayeth If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God Likewise writing to the Ephesians chap. 2. By grace ye are saued through faith Ephe. 2.8.9 and that not of your selues it is the gift of GOD not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe So then he giueth all his gifts freely that he may haue the whole praise of his mercy But so much as we take to our selues so much hee loseth of his glory Reason 2 Secondly he knoweth we haue nothing of our owne we craue our daily bread and drinke at his hands We are beggers and destitute of all good things and neuer are able to supply our owne wants Our owne penury is such that we haue nothing to boast off but our misery pouerty blindnesse nakednes and wretchednesse We were saith the Apostle dead in trespasses and sinnes â—he 2.1 2. wherein in times past we walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience We are vnable to thinke or to doe any thing it is God must worke in vs the will and the deed it is he must draw vs before we can runne after him or come
It is no good report that I heare ye make the Lords people to transgresse But Dauid was loth to displease his sonne but sought to please him in all things and behold what came of it it turned to his hurt and in the end to his vtter ouerthrow If then we lay these seuerall points together that God will shew our election and the election of our seed to stand firmely and onely vpon the purpose of his wil and cut off all occasion of boasting from vs that we are able to deriue grace vnto them lest therby we should ascribe their regeneration conuersiō to our selues so take the glory frō God to whom onely it is due vnto our selues to whom in no sort it is due that God in his counsell purposeth to destroy some of them and that they often want education a good meanes to bring them to God wee may truely conclude this point with which we deale namely that godly parents which doe beleeue haue many times vngracious and vnrighteous children that doe not beleeue This often falling out to the most faithful Vse 1 that desire to leaue an holy seed behind them let vs consider what we are to learne from it And first this sealeth vp this truth as a principle that neuer faileth namely that the father is not saued by the child nor the child by the father The Prophet saith truely Hab. 2.4 The iust shal liue by his faith not by the faith of the father nor by the faith of the sonne but by his owne faith The faith of the godly father shal not saue the vngodly child neither shal the faith of the godly child saue the vngodly father Thus are Gods wayes cleared to bee equall which are oftentimes challenged and slandered to be vnequall This doth the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 18.4 5.13 14 17 20. and 33.20 handle at large Chap. 18. and 33. Behold all soules are mine as the soule of the father so also the soule of the sonne is mine the soule that sinneth shall die If a man be iust and doe that which is lawfull and right if he beget a sonne that is a robber or an oppresser he shal surely die his blood shall be vpon him But if he beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and considereth and doth not such like hee shall not die for the iniquitie of his father he shall surely liue The soule that sinneth it shall die the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father neither shall the father beare the iniquity of the sonne the righteousnes of the righteous shal be vpon him and the wickednes of the wicked shal be vpō him Where he sheweth that if the father that is righteous beget a sonne vnlike vnto himselfe the righteousnesse of the father shall nothing profit or auaile him he shall receiue such a recompence of reward as is due to his impiety He mentioneth in this place three seuerall persons the grandfather the nephew and in the middle betweene them both Calui praelect in Ezek. cap. 18 he setteth the sonne of the former and the father of the latter Of them all he setteth downe this rule that euery one shall be rewarded as he hath liued and receiue according vnto his workes The blessing of GOD shall rest vpon all those that are iust whatsoeuer their posterity shall bee as Esay Chapter 3.10 Esay 3.10 Say yee to the righteous that it shall be well with him for they shall eate the fruite of their doings and to that purpose we reade in the Psalme Psal 58.11 Men shall say verily there is reward for the righteous verily he is a God that iudgeth in the earth God is a iust Iudge and therefore rewardeth euery man as his owne life is They therefore doe greatly deceiue themselues that runne into all excesse of riot and thinke to haue mercy shewed vnto them because of the godlinesse of their parents whereas rather this shall serue to heape vppe farther iudgement vpon their heads On the other side it serueth to comfort those that forsake the wickednesse of their parents progenitors forasmuch as god will accept of them and embrace them in the armes of his tender loue and neuer charge vpon them those sinnes nor vpbraide them with the same Blessed therefore are all that walke in his wayes but vnto them that turne away from righteousnesse and commit iniquity and doe according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he die Wherefore to conclude it is required of vs not to stand vpon the goodnesse of our ancestors but vpon that which we finde in our selues inasmuch as many of the godly and righteous seruants of God haue had children appointed to wrath and destruction The people of the Iewes gloried and boasted that they had Abraham to their father albeit they did not the workes of Abraham but of their father the diuell Ioh. 8.44 Ioh. 8.44 Hence it is that Iohn the Baptist exhorteth them to bring forth fruites meete for repentance Matth. 3.8 9. and not to thinke to say within themselues We haue Abraham to our father forasmuch as God is able of the stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham It is a vaine thing in earthly things for a man to boast of his predecessors The heathen man could say Ouid. Metam lib. 13. that stocke and ancestors and such things as our selues haue not done we may scarcely cal our owne Much more doeth this holde in heauenly things and in true religion which goe not by kinde or kinne they descend not from father vnto sonne as temporall inheritances doe no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and hee to whomsoeuer the Sonne will reueale him Matth. 11. Matth. 11.27 Let euery man labour to know God and to plant the feare of him in his owne heart that so we may liue by our owne faith as his life is maintained and continued by his owne soule Vse 2 Secondly let no man be discouraged though they see their seed vntoward and vngracious Religion cannot be conueyed to children by parents as house and land neither can they leaue it vnto them as they leaue them a possession to descend by a continued succession from the father to the sonne and to the sonnes sonne in one race and generation Godlinesse commeth not to vs by naturall generation Godlinesse is no inheritance from father to sonne but by spirituall regeneration neither hath the first-borne greater title to it then the second That which the Apostle speaketh of the Ministery that Paul may plant and Apollo water but it is God that giueth the increase may be truely spoken of the bringing vp of children in the nourture and information of the Lord. We may and ought
shall be sure to haue God on our side He wil not send vs out and then see vs to take the foile he wil not put vs into his seruice and then lay vs open and leaue vs naked to the contempt of euery base companion Let vs not shrinke backe as faint-hearted souldiers when a crosse word is cast out against vs which is but as a brutish thunderbolt that can doe no harme but let vs remember our calling and who it is that hath set vs in that function When Amos was slandered and reuiled by the Priest of Beth-el and had no lesse crime laide to his charge then high treason and conspiracy against the king hee did not sinke vnder the burden or ceasse to Prophesie any more but he confirmeth himselfe and hardneth his face and remembreth who put him in that place The Lord tooke me as I followed the flocke and the Lord said vnto me Goe Prophesie vnto my people Amos 7. What greater comfort could Paul haue against the oppositions and blasphemies of obstinate enemies that he found at Corinth then the gracious words of the Lord Be not afraide but speake and holde not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this Citie Actes Chapter 18. verses 9.10 So is it with vs and in this manner doth the Lord speake to euery of vs if we be assured in our owne conscience that God hath ordained vs and set vs apart to our office hee chargeth vs not to be afraide of the faces of men he giueth vs certaine hope of his presence and will suffer no man to doe vs hurt On the other side if our office be of men and we entred into it also to enrich our selues not to feed the people of God we can haue no comfort in the euill day nor promise to our selues any hope or expectation of a blessed issue of our labours We entred not in at the dore and the shepheard of the sheepe will not acknowledge vs to be his seruants but account vs as hirelings that serue our selues and our owne bellies and care not for the sheepe whether they sinke or swimme whether they prosper or pine whether they liue or die Vse 5 Lastly when God setteth vp the Ministery of his word among vs as a light that shineth in darke places and as a beacon vpon an hill it is the duty of the people to hearken reuerently and attend diligently vnto it as vnto the voyce of Iesus Christ and not as to the word of a mortall man We must not consider the Ministers that speake vnto vs in the Name of the Lord as bare or mortall men albeit they be so indeed and subiect to the same infirmities that we our selues are but we must obserue of them that they sustain another person then their own they are Gods messengers vnto vs â— Cor. 5.20 the Lord hath sent them as his embassadours they come from the high court of heauen to tell vs the will of him that hath called them The want of this due consideration that the Ministers sustaine two persons one priuate to wit their owne the other publike to wit of God is the maine cause why the Ministery is so slenderly regarded and so few are edified by it When a Prince employeth a meane person in his seruice and sendeth him to make knowne his will vnto vs if we onely respect his person as he is of himselfe and consider not the person whose mouth he is and in whose name hee speaketh wee will neuer regard the message he bringeth as wee ought So it is in the matter of the Ministery The king of heauen and earth determineth to call a Church and gather a people vnto himselfe he sendeth out the Ministers as his messengers to make knowne his will vnto vs and so putteth heauenly treasures of great price and value in earthen vessels if we respect the men no otherwise then according to their names and persons and not according as God hath vouchsafed to employ them we can neuer receiue the word with meekenesse and reuerence that is able to saue our soules Know it therefore and learne it diligently that a Minister is not only a man as all other are that beare the image of God but more then a common man euen a Minister of the Gospel and a messenger of Iesus Christ so that whosoeuer receiueth them and heareth their words entertaineth Christ himselfe and whosoeuer dispiseth them and their sayings reiecteth Christ himselfe and shall bee arraigned as guilty of the contempt of his person The Apostle writing to the Hebrewes sheweth that God hath spoken by his owne Sonne whom hee hath appointed heire of all things Chapter 1.2 Heb. 1.2 and 2.1 and thereupon concludeth that we ought to giue the more earnest heede to the the things which we haue heard lest at any time we should let them slippe Thus duty hath many branches vnder it which spread themselues farre and neere but I will briefely touch some particulars First we are to consider that in hearing the word we haue to doe with God If we exempt our selues from his presence who hath promised that whensoeuer two or three are gathered together in his Name he will bee in the middes of them we shall neuer profit as we ought nor consider the worke we goe about It is noted of Cornelius Actes 10.23 That when Peter was come to tell him and to teach him what he ought to doe he said Wee are all heere present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Thus ought it to be with vs when wee are entred into the house of prayer we must remember that wee sit downe in the presence of God not of men onely like vnto our selues but of him that is the searcher of the heart Let this bee our first rule and except we doe this wee doe nothing in our hearing as wee ought to doe Secondly we must empty our selues of all clogges and emcombrances that may hinder the sauing hearing of the word Heb. 12.1 Let vs cast off euery weight and the sinne that doth so easily beset vs. Let vs disburden our selues of the cares of this life and the deceitfulnesse of riches Luke 8. and the lusts of other things which if wee bring with vs ouerlaying our hearts they will stop our eares that the things cannot enter into vs. Therefore the wise man giueth this counsell Ecclesiastes Chapter 5. verse 1. Keepe thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and bee more ready to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they consider not that they doe euill Thirdly set a price vpon the word aboue all things of this life that may bee most deare vnto thee Desire it more then gold yea then much fine gold labour to finde it sweeter to thy taste then hony the hony combe Psal 19.10 Psal 19.10 and 119.103.127 Loue it aboue all
of God Such are ready to say with the Apostle Rom. 10.15 How beautifull are the feete of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Dan. 1.3 4. Nebuchadnezzar chose men to waite on him among the Iewes such as were of the kings stocke comely witty and euery way well qualified both for lineaments of body and ornaments of mind he required that the chiefest should attend vpon him he would not haue the refuse to stand in the kings court Shall they then that are to stand vp in the Name of the LORD be of the basest and of the off-scouring of the people If a man haue many sons such is the contempt of the Ministery the eldest he must be the heire if any be more beautifull or personable then the rest he must be a Courtier if any be disfigured or vncomely he is set apart if he list to the Ministery This is not to honour God with our first fruites this is to serue him with the blind and the lame and to giue vnto him such as are not fit for any thing else But of this wee shall haue better occasion to speake farther afterward Secondly The second reproofe this sanctifying vnto God the best thing that we haue serueth to reprooue such as neuer offer vnto God the first and florishing part of their age neither sanctifie vnto him their yong yeeres but as if they were too good for him they will serue sinne and Satan first and afterward when they can follow them no longer then they will thinke of sadder matters Hence it is that yong men for the most part doe thinke themselues exempted and priuiledged by their age to commit sinne with greedinesse and without controlment and that they are free to doe what they list to fetch their vagaries and to runne into all excesse at their owne pleasure But the holy Ghost is so farre from giuing liberty vnto them that he prouoketh them in good time to dispose of their life and euen then especially when their affections beginne to boile in them and endeauoureth to pull them in as it were with the cords of discipline and the Law of God Salomon is so farre from allowing this reason to warrant the loosenesse of young men that is to say We are yet as youths and therefore we may be let alone a while we will bee wiser hereafter that rather with a sharpe but yet iust taunting laughing it to scorne he speaketh to this age Reioyce O yong man Eccle. 11.9 in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and in the light of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into iudgement As if he had saide If thou wilt needes goe forward and wilt not be reclaimed be it so take thy pleasure passe on thy dayes in thy delights follow the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eies and the pride of life glut thy selfe with chambring and wantonnesse and take thy fill of daliance yet know that at the last thou shalt be called vnto iudgment giue account for those things which thou hast cōmitted The children that mocked the Prophet and reproched him for his infirmitie were torne in pieces with Beares that came out of the wood 2 King 2.24 Therefore doth Salomon exhort them in another place Eccle. 12.1 to remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth while the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres draw nigh when thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them God hath honoured them as his first borne and giuen many gifts vnto them as learning wit knowledge beauty strength health quickenesse and readinesse to doe all things which are not so common to euery age let them not abuse them but honour him with them that gaue them If you spend your first dayes loosely and licentiously and offer your olde age to the LORD when you can follow the pleasures of sinne no longer that endure for a season he will not accept such a seruice and sacrifice at your hands If you would haue God to bee your God in your old age serue him in your youth lest as you regarded not to know him in your youth so he giue you ouer and know you not in your elder yeeres For if an earthly man haue the wisedome and discretion not to admit and receiue into his seruice a doting and decrepid man such a one as can stand him in no stead but will readily answere him Go thy wayes thou art no seruant for me let him that had the vse of thy yonger daies take that fruit of thy old age that thou canst yeeld vnto him Shall not the Lord the most wise God reiect and cast vs off in age if we passe the flower of our youth in seruing sin Satan and the world What assurance can we haue to be accepted when and at what time we list may he not iustly say vnto vs Thou hast all thy life time serued mine enemies of whom I said vnto thee Serue them not and now at last when thou canst serue them no longer commest thou vnto me How often haue I called thee and offered ro be a master vnto thee but thou refusedst to become my seruant now it is iust with me to stopppe mine eares at thy cry Go thy wayes Let him that had thy youth take thine age also let him that had the beginning take also the ending If we spend our strength in vanity and our dayes in folly thus will the Lord answere vs God is the creator of the yong man it is he that hath made him and not he himself he is subiect to death in his youth as well as the olde man in his age the glasse that is newly made is as brittle as the old the Lambe goeth to the shambles as soone as the sheepe And the yong man shall be brought to iudgement for his trickes of youth for God shall bring euery worke to iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or whether it be euill Eccle. 12.14 Wherefore to conclude let yong and olde honour the Lord with the first fruites of their increase giue the best things that they possesse yea the more we haue the more he requireth of vs. Such as are rich and haue this worlds good must not be as barren trees and vnfruitfull in good workes Whatsoeuer we enioy we haue receiued it of his goodnesse it is as a streame issuing from his fountaine and therefore we must returne the glory to him and communicate the benefit therof vnto our brethren Vse 2 Secondly another spirituall application of this type and figure of the first borne is that it calleth to our remembrance what we are both by nature and by grace What we are by nature By nature that we are all the children of wrath and destruction without the mercy of God freeing deliuering vs from the
the first borne among many brethren Rom. 8.29 is the Priest of his Church because he offered vp himself to his Father as a perfect sacrifice to satisfie his wrath for our sinnes and maketh intercession for vs and the king of his Church because he hath authority in heauen in earth so he maketh vs kings and Priests vnto God his Father Reuel 1.6 and 5.10 Priests that we should make knowne his wil call vpon his Name in spirit and truth and offer vp our selues to him a spirituall sacrifice and kings that we should conquer sinne Satan and the world through faith in Christ for this is our victory euen our faith 1 Ioh. 5.4 that ouercommeth all these enemies We haue also the adoption of sonnes and we are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that we should shew forth the praises of him who hath called vs out of darknesse into his maruellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Thirdly this layeth before vs the dignity Vse 3 of Christ Iesus our Sauiour touching whom we learne that he is in deed and in trueth the first borne of God by whom we are deliuered from the wrath of God and redeemed from hell and destruction forasmuch as he was consecrate vnto God and made a sacrifice of attonement for vs who by sinne were become his enemies as we noted before Now hee is the first borne in these foure respects first How Christ is the first borne according to his diuine nature being begotten of the Father before all creatures after an vnspeakeable manner being of the same substance with him and is therfore called the first borne of euery creature Coloss 1. verse 15. Rom. 8. verse 29. He is the eternall sonne of God being borne of him before any creature was created Whereby wee learne against the blasphemous opinion of the Arrians that he is true GOD not a made or a created God but being God from all eternity Secondly according to his humane nature euen as he tooke vpon him our flesh and was borne of the virgine Mary so hee was also her first borne Matthew 1. verse 25. Luke 2. verse 15. Not that the blessed Virgine had other after him but because she had none before him For he is in Scripture called the first borne that first openeth the matrice whether other be borne after or not Thirdly he is called by this title because he was the first that arose out of the graue made a way for vs vnto euerlasting life because it was vnpossible that hee should be holden of the sorrowes of death And therefore hee is said by the Apostle to be before all things the beginning and the first borne from the dead Col. 1 18. This is a notable comfort vnto vs that forasmuch as our elder Brother Christ Iesus arose from the dead to the euerlasting possession of eternall glory in heauen it followeth that we also shall rise againe and not for euer lye in the graue and then be partakers with him of that blessed inheritance prepared for vs from the beginning of the world Hee is gone before to prepare vs a place and when he commeth againe we shall enter into that blessed estate and condition euery one according to the measure of the grace and guift of Christ Psal 45 7. For as Christ was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes so he was rewarded with the possession of glory aboue his brethren and highly exalted farre aboue all principalities and powers who ascended aboue all heauens that hee might fill all things Eph. 4 10. Neither let any obiect that some did rise againe before him for they arose againe to this present life and dyed againe but he arose againe to die no more death had no more dominion ouer him but to take possession of the kingdome of heauen and therefore it followeth in the next words that in all things he might haue the preheminence Lastly as the first borne was set apart and then sacrificed vnto GOD I meane the first borne among the beasts that were killed so Christ was separated from sinners Heb. 7 26. as the vnspotted Lambe of God holy and acceptable and then made a perfect oblation of himselfe not for himselfe but for the sinnes of his people Heb. 7 27. He must be holy both in his conception and life that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high-Priest and make reconciliation for vs. For he that must be a Mediatour betweene God and vs and restore vs into his fauour must of necessity be himselfe in the fauour of God and neuer haue offended him Neither could he haue accesse to the Throne of God who is most holy to make intercession for vs vnlesse he had beene holy harmelesse vndefiled and made higher then the heauens Hence also we haue vnspeakeable comfort we are assured that the wrath of God is pacified the curse of the Law is cancelled and all our sinnes are purged and done away Who is it now that shall be able to lay any thing to our charge Rom. 8 33. or to the charge of any of the elect It is God that iustifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. There is nothing then that shall be able to separate vs from this loue of Christ neither tribulation nor distresse neither persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor perill nor sword neyther life nor death forasmuch as in all these we are more then Conquerors through him that loued vs. Lastly seeing God separated the first borne Vse 4 or eldest of the family from the rest of his brethren as also he did the Leuites from the other Tribes to serue him it teacheth that all the faithfull ought to be separated from the company of wicked men and to abhor them as a sinke of all filthinesse and annoyance that we may more freely and faithfully serue the Lord as the Prophet saith Psal 119. Psal 119 115. Away from me ye wicked and I will keepe the Commandements of my God Thus we see the Church of God to be described to be an holy people elected out of the rest of the world Numb 23.9 They shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the Nations God reuealeth his will to them he gouerneth them he protecteth them he careth and prouideth for them no lesse then parents for their first borne Hence it is that he willeth Moses to goe to Pharaoh and to say vnto him Israel is my sonne euen my first borne let him goe that he may serue me and if thou refuse to let him goe Behold I will slay thy sonne euen thy first borne Exod. 4. Exod. 4 22 23 The like we reade in the Prophesie of Ieremy chap. 31 9. I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my first borne He hath a greater care of them then of all other nations and people
The elect are the first borne of God Annot. Iob. Feri in Exod. 4. because they are most dear vnto him and chosen before the foundation of the world For euen as men among all their sonnes doe most of all delight in their first begotten as in the beginning of their strength reioycing most of all in the good that befalleth them and greeuing most in the euill that commeth vnto them Psal 89 27. Zach. 12 11. So doth God expresse his speciall loue toward vs not onely by calling vs his sonnes but by calling vs his first borne sons Among the sonnes of men it was alwayes an honour and priuiledge to be the first borne it is but one among many can attaine vnto it it is not common to euery one But the sonnes of God are all of them as his first borne they are deare vnto him as they that are dearest Behold what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should bee called the first borne sonnes of God! therefore the world knoweth vs not because it knew him not So sometimes the faithfull are called the first fruites of his creatures Iam. 1 18. because as the first fruites in the time of the Law were a smal portion gathered out of the rest and offered to God in like manner are the people of God as an holy kinde of offering taken out of the residue of men few in number but precious in account with God Iam. 1 18. Thus then wee must know that we are consecrated vnto God to belong vnto him and to serue him as for the company of the wicked The company of the wicked is as the forbidden fruit they are forbidden to vs as the touching or tasting of the forbidden fruite was to our first parents as bringing great danger and destruction vnto our soules The wise man saith Be not among wine-bibbers Pro. 23 20 21 among riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to pouerty and drowsinesse shall cloathe a man with ragges Hereunto commeth the direction of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5 11. I haue written vnto you not to keepe company if any that is called a brother be a fornicator or couetous or an idolatour or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eate And in the next Epistle he exhorteth to come out from among them and to touch no vncleane thing and then GOD will receiue them be a Father vnto them and they shall be his sonnes and daughters 2 Cor. 6 17. Likewise he chargeth the Thessalonians and commandeth them in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ that they withdraw themselues from euery brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which they receiued of them 2 Thess 3 6. All flesh resort to their like and euery man will keepe company with such as he is himselfe For how can the lambe agree with the wolfe Or how can two walke together except they be agreed The heathen Philosopher Senec. epist 7. sequestring himselfe to a strict kinde of life confesseth that he could neuer bring home againe those manners that he carried abroad with him but what he had well ordered in his life was easily disturbed and disordered and those vices that he had put to flight quickly returned vpon him Euen as it befalleth a sicke person that hath kept long within doores beeing recouered of some weaknesse or sicknesse cannot without danger walk abroad in the open aire but straightway he is cast downe againe so it happeneth vnto vs whose hearts haue begun to shake off the sicknesses of sinnes and vices the conuersation of the wicked multitude is a great enemy like the infectious ayre vnto vs euery mate being ready to commend vnto vs and to thrust vpon vs both by word and practise some noysome vice or other some to bring vs to drunkennesse some to vncleannesse some to riotousnesse some to gaming 's and so to infect vs therewith at vnawares Whereby it commeth to passe that we sildome goe vnto them or keepe company with them or continue long with them but we learne some euil or vnlearne some good and so returne from them more prophane and polluted then before This duty hath vnder it many branches First it standeth vs vpon to make choise of our company that we frequent as a man that chuseth out his ground before he build and not to be more carefull what we eate or drink then among whom we eate or drinke Vnwholesome meates may pester or poison the body Senec. episi 19. but vngodly company many times destroyeth the soule We see how carefull men are about their meates and drinkes what they eate and what they drinke euery little thing doth trouble and disquiet them but in matters of farre greater danger as blind men we swallow many a flie and conuerse with such as we may iustly feare they may bring vs to perdition as men that straine at a gnat and swallow a camell Secondly we ought to pray to God daily that we may not be ledde into tentations It is the direction that Christ our sauiour giueth that so we may be deliuered from euill Math. 6 13. Daily prayer for wisedome is a preseruatiue against the wicked Such as walke in the morning in noysome aires carry somewhat in their mouthes to keepe them from infection If we pray faithfully we are fensed and fortified against the assaults of euill persons This was the practise of Dauid wherein he hath giuen vs an example Psal 141.3 4. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keepe the doore of my lippes incline not mine heart to any euill thing to practise wicked workes with men that worke iniquity If then we are to pray to be preserued from such tempters and tentations as would draw vs into euill and withdraw vs from good surely we are not wittingly and willingly to runne into them for then wee mocke and dally with God become tempters vnto our selues And how shall we dare to kneele downe in the presence of the eternal God and to desire of him not to leade vs into tentation and so soone as we are gone frō prayer and the house of prayer by and by to haunt euill houses and seeke out allurements and waite for occasions wish for our companions vntill we returne home worse then we were before Thirdly it is our duty and a speciall point of wisedome not to presume vpon our abilities nor to glory in our owne strength There cannot be a more deceitfull baite then this is when men foolishly perswade themselues that albeit they runne into euill company and hold familiarity with drunkards and continually haunt alehouses and places of disorder though they be haile-fellow well mette with them and ioyne hand in hand with them yet they can keepe themselues from infection so that they will neuer be ouertaken with their sinne And as well may a man rush headlong among such as haue plague sores aboue
precepts and examples to teach vs the way wherein we are to walke Lastly we must haue the doctrine of the Scriptures plentifully dwelling in vs not in the mouth but seated in the heart that we may be able to stand in the truth to continue vnto the end to rise vp being fallen We are euery houre subiect to be tempted of the diuell his tentations are many and strong hee is an expert and experienced captaine he looketh where we are weakest he is a spie that commeth to search and see the nakednesse of our soules And therefore we must be able to draw out the spirituall sword put into our hands vpon euery occasion that we may put him to flight This is the way to resist him this is the way to ouercome him Iam. 4. We haue the example of our Lord Iesus Christ the head of his Church he said It is written he handled this sword at euery tentation Math. 4 4. to teach vs to furnish our selues plentifully with the doctrine thereof that so we may remember to apply the same to euery present purpose 17. And these were the sonnes of Leui by their names Gershon and Kohath and Merari 18. And these are the names of the sonnes of Gershon by their families Libni and Shimei 19. And the sonnes of Kohath by their families Amram and Izehar Hebron and Vzziel 20. And the sonnes of Merari by their families Mahli and Mushi these are the families of the Leuites according to the house of their fathers Hitherto we haue spoken of that numbring of the Leuites which is generall the particular followeth which is both propounded and concluded the former beginning heere continueth to the end of the 37 verse the latter is comprised in the 38 and 39 verses This particular reckoning vp of the Leuites is perfourmed by setting downe such sonnes or issue as were begotten immediately of Leui himselfe then such as descended of his sons and lastly such as proceeded of his sons sons The sonnes of Leui were three in number Gershon Kohath Merari Gen. 46 11. Exod. 6 16 These are described according to the number of their families so that of Gershon came two families the Libnites and the Shimeits Of Kohath came foure families the Amramites the Izeharites the Hebronites and the Vzzielites Of Merari were spread two families the Mahlites and the Mushites In this diuision is laid downe before vs a description of the genealogy or generation of the Tribe of Leui by their names and by their families wherein is set downe both what children Leui had and what were his childrens children insomuch that many did spring and spread themselues as branches out of that roote This we also finde set downe afterward chap. 26 Numb 26 â— and in other places of the word of God and yet it may seeme vnto some very vnprofitable and to minister little or no instruction at all to the Church of God Besides the Scripture speaking of Genealogies doth oftentimes cal them endles and fruiteles and brand them with this note to minister occasion of strife and contention rather then of godly edifying which is in loue 1 Tim. 1 4 and Tit. 1 4 and 3 9. But we must know that the Apostle condemneth not all Genealogies All Geneâ—gies not coâ—demned forasmuch as the Scriptures are full of them and the Iewes kept publike and priuate records of their tribes and families Numb 1 18. Nehem. 7 62. This was obserued vntill the desolation of the City and the Temple Paul was able to proue himselfe of the stocke of Israel Phil 3 5. of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew of the Hebrewes by lineall descent if any had doubted of it The first booke of the Chronicles is full of such genealogies so is Ezra and Nehemiah and few historicall books of the old Testament without them Hence it is that the Apostle ioyneth foolish Questions and Genealogies together where he condemneth not the mouing of euery question in handling the word or conferring of it for both Christ asked his Disciples many things Mat. 16. and there are many questions godly and profitable whereof we may enquire and reason which breed sound knowledge wholesome instruction and fruitfull edification to the hearers He is marked out as with a note of folly that rashly and headily beleeueth euery thing Prou. 14 15. And therefore the questions that are to be suppressed he calleth foolish questions that is idle superfluous vaine and vnnecessary seruing to no vse or profit The same title as a brand set vpon the head of them is to be stretched also to Genealogies foolish genealogies must be staied such as are of no moment such as serue to nourish vaine glory and serue not to the benefite of the faith of the Church But such as the Scripture setteth downe are very profitable sometimes to teach vs the accomplishment of Gods promises sometimes to giue light to other Scriptures sometimes to shew the continuance of the Church from age to age sometimes to discouer the enemies of true religion which often driue it into a corner of the world and sometimes to manifest the true Messiah that the scepter departed not from Iudah till his appearing But to omit this heere we are to consider and to compare the curse of Iacob with the blessings that wee see descend vpon this tribe Simeon and Leui instruments of cruelty in the destruction of the Sichemites haue an heauy curse laid vpon them by their father Gen. 49. Yet God raised out of the same these honourable families and turned the curse into a blessing as he promised to that tribe for their zeale in destroying the idolaters â—octrine 1. â—od chuseth â—eake and â— likely â—eanes maâ— times We learne from hence that God many times chuseth his seruants as his instruments to bring worthy things to passe euen out of low and meane degrees He chuseth weake meanes and vnlikely in the eyes of the world and maketh them his instruments to worke his will This doth Hannah confesse she was contemned and reproched by her aduersarie which caused her in the anguish and bitternes of her soule to pray to the Lord but hauing experience of his mercy toward her she saith The Lord maketh rich Sam 2.6 7 â— and maketh poore he bringeth low and lifteth vp he raiseth vp the poore out of the dust lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherite the throne of glory So hee dealt with Ioseph he brought him out of prison and lifted vp his head aboue the Princes of Egypt Gen. 41.40 Thus he speaketh to the Israelites Deut. 7.7 8. and putteth them in minde of their naturall condition The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor chuse you because yee were moe in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loued you and because he would keepe the oath which hee had sworne vnto your fathers hath the
the old man shall not hurt vs. Satan would perswade vs we are wholly carnall because we are in part vnregenerate but God receiueth vs as his children and accounteth vs his Saints because we are in part sanctified so that we haue hence exceeding comfort that of such base slaues of all sinne he vouchsafeth to accept of vs passing by what we are by nature and acknowledging vs as we stand by faith Secondly considering what instruments Vse 2 God maketh choyce off in his seruice they that are rich in this world ought not to despise the poore neither yet the high those that are set in low places who indeed are most subiect to contempt This the Apostle Iames Iam. 2.5 6. inferreth Chap. 2. Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this world to be rich in faith and heires of his kingdome but ye haue despised the poore c. This is to crosse the proceedings of God and to set our selues against him casting downe those whom he lifteth vp and lifting vp those whom he casteth downe This falleth out many wayes First when they are aflicted persecuted by the mighty men of the world Our poore brethren before vs had wofull and lamentable experience of this point who suffered for the religion of Christ for the defence of the Gospel for the profession of their faith and the testimony of a good conscience This Christ foretold Matth. 10.22 Thus the Apostles found it and such as followed them and beleeued their doctrine had no better entertainment for the world is alwayes like it selfe we shall neuer prooue it to be any changeling An enemy it was to the sauing knowledge of the word an enemy it is at this present and an enemy it will be in the ages to come Secondly when the rich men of this world deale hardly and harshly with them in the affaires of this life wringing and wresting from them vnconscionably and deceitfully what they can This is forbidden in the Law Leuit 25.14 If thou sell ought vnto thy neighbour or buyest ought of thy neighbours hand ye shall not oppresse one another And the Apostle in the Epistle to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4.6 Let no man ouer-reach or defraud his brother in any matter because that the Lord is the auenger of all such Thirdly Esay 3.15 when they waste and were out their bodies with toilesome labours vnrewarded as the Egyptians did deale with the Israelites and as the Apostle Iames complaineth at large Chap. 5. that the rich liued in pleasures on the earth and fatted themselues as in a day of slaughter Iam. 5.4 and kept backe the hire of the labourers by fraude that reaped their fields Fourthly we must consider that the elect are not alwayes eased of the burden of pouerty but it lyeth heauy sometimes vpon them that God may try their patience and others beneuolence God maketh them obiects of our pitty and therefore he will not haue all to be aloft Our Sauiour teacheth Matth 26.11 that the poore we must alwayes haue with vs. The loue and fauour of God must not be measured by the deceitfull rule of outward things He maketh the poore oftentimes to be rich in faith and heires to a kingdom while he sendeth the rich empty away Are we then in want and doe we stand in need of the things of this life we must take vp our crosse willingly and follow our master cheerefully â—th 8.20 he saith The Foxes haue holes and the birds of the ayre haue nests but the Sonne of man hath no where to lay his head Wee are by Christ made heires of glory let vs by faith wait for that inheritance which shall aboundantly supply all our wants Fiftly let those that haue this worlds good looke to themselues that they be not high-minded â—m 6.9 10. neither trust in vncertaine riches 1 Tim. 6. God can make them low when it pleaseth him and therefore they are not to aduance themselues aboue their brethren He can lay their honour in the dust and make all their glory vanish away as the flower of the grasse and therefore let him that is rich reioyce in that he is made low Iam. 1.10 Lastly let vs not haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons neither esteeme of the religion of Christ by outward things as the greatest sort doe Who are iudged by such indeed as want iudgement to be in the best case but such as flow in wealth and abound in riches who are most admired and accounted the only men of the world and set before vs as examples and presidents in all things to be followed â—al 17.14 but such as haue their portion in this life whose bellies the Lord filleth with his hidde treasures and they leaue the rest of their substance to their babes To doe as they doe to liue as they liue to loue as they loue is made as the starre by which all should saile and guide the shippe If they be irreligious and no feare of God before their eyes others take this as a good warrant to themselues to bee contemners of holy things also If they thinke scorne to attend vpon the ordinance of God and to be conscionable hearers of his word it were no good manners for the meaner sort to goe before their betters and to be more forward then they Thus are men become partiall iudges when they account such as carry the greatest pompe and shew to be the onely religious men and patternes for other to follow by which meanes such as are religiosu indeed grow vile and contemptible Hence it is that the Apostle Iames â—am 2.1 saith Chap. 2. My brethren haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons The meaning is not as if the higher places did not pertaine to the higher persons and the chiefe roomes to the chiefest degrees among men but that in matters of religion we must not be carried away with a preiudicate opinion to cleaue to those and to their iudgement that are mighty in the world onely because they are mighty and to reiect those and the trueth which they professe because they are poore and lowly in the eyes of the world The persons of men that is the outward qualities of their birth or honour or riches must not set a byas vpon our iudgement to sway vs that way to conclude that they are of a false religion that are poore in this world and contrariwise that their religion must of necessity be sound because they are great or honourable or wealthy or noble or prosper in the earth This is a deceitfull rule and yet it is the square wherby the greatest sort measure all things If they see a multitude follow one course in matters of faith and runne by heapes and throngs all one way they also for company thrust in themselues among them and conclude that this must needes be the best way because the most
people yet he would haue his children to content themselues to be ranged among the ordinary Leuites though they were not aduanced to be in the number of the Priests much lesse to be the high Priests And note the sincerity of Moses himselfe that he is not ashamed to set downe this in writing and to commit it to posterity so that he cannot be suspected of any shew of ambition or to giue any the least occasion to the vngodly of slandering him Thus do the writers of holy Scriptures deale without all partiality euen in matters that do concerne themselues This we see in Dauid Psal 51 in the title of it who mentioneth his committing of adultery with the wife of Vriah and his repentance for the same The Prophet Ionah Ionah 1 3 17. reporteth his flying from the presence of God and the iudgement that fell vpon him for it in that Prophesie The Apostle Paul spareth not to tell the Church and to leaue it to all posterity that he was a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressor 1 Tim. 1 13. One borne out of due time the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle because he persecuted the Church of God 1 Cor. 15 8 9. Behold therfore the purity of the word of God learne to confesse it and endeuour to finde this effect of it in our hearts Besides we are to obserue and marke from hence that the Tribe of Leui of small and little beginnings did make wonderfull proceedings for whereas he begat three sonnes Gershon had onely two Merari two and Kohath foure who could haue expected so fruitfull a posterity that twelue men in so short a time should swarme into so many thousands Thus doth GOD worke mightily by weake meanes both in the naturall generation and in the spirituall regeneration that his glory might more brightly and beautifully appeare We haue seene and shewed already how God euen when his people were most vexed oppressed did then most of all encrease and multiply them and so manifested his power in their preseruation Likewise also we see in the new Testament he chose out twelue Apostles and sent them into the world not furnished with carnall weapons Erasm praefac in Iraeneum nor armed with the force or fauour or friendship of mortall men By such as were vnskilfull he ouercame the wisedome of the wise by few in number he subdued very many Nations by the weake he vanquished the strong by an vnwarlike company he conquered euery high hold that lifted vp it selfe against God laid it equall with the ground by such as were vnnoble and vnknowne hee dimmed darkned al the glory of the world by silly and simple sheepe he tamed the fiercenesse of roaring Lyons that is the cruelty of bloody tyrants and by innocent Doues hee draue away wily and subtill serpents Last of all albeit Kohath were not the elder brother and consequently the Ruler of Leuies house yet in the common ministery he was preferred before the rest and had the chiefest preheminence and place of honour aboue theÌ„ to teach vs that God sheweth mercy from the fountaine of his owne holy will and pleasure euen as he aduanced Moses and called him from feeding his fathers sheepe without any dignity or desert that was found in him Let vs all confesse this when we receiue any kindnesse and mercy from him otherwise we rob him of the glory due to his name But of these points we haue spoken elsewhere and therefore we will come to the doctrines Verse 27. And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites c. Wee are to note that which was expressed before and is repeated againe heereafter but especially is pointed out in this diuision that the office committed to this family is called a charge and ministration they had the charge of the Sanctuary verse 28. Againe their charge shall be the Arke and the Table and the Candlesticke verse 31. And afterward Eleazar shall haue the ouersight of theÌ„ that keepe the charge of the Sanctuary verse 32. From hence we learne what the office of the Doctrine Ministery is namely The Mâ—â—â—â—ry is an 〈◊〉 of charge that it is an office of charge It is required of all the Ministers carefully to looke to the Churches and charges committed vnto them and to attend to the flocke that dependeth vpon them The Ministery is a great burden and a work full of employment This doth Peter by way of exhortation teach the Elders Feede the flocke of God which is among you taking the ouersight thereof not by constraint but willingly c 1 Pet. 5 2. Thus doth Paul instruct the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20 28. Take heed vnto your selues and to all the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you Ouerseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood And when he writeth to Timothy he saith This is a true saying If a man desire the office of a Bishop 1 Tim. 3 1 â— hee desireth a good worke So likewise in the same Chapter If a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall he take care of the Church of God And in the second Epistle chap. 4 verse 1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quicke and dead at his appearing and his kingdome preach the word be instant in season out of season reprooue rebuke exhort with all suffering and doctrine Whereby wee see that the Ministery is an ouersight and the Ministers Ouerseers and the end of their office a caring for the Church of God diligently and vncessantly This may farther be shewed vnto vs by the Reason 1 force of reason First all the titles that are giuen vnto them are as so many goades to pricke them forward or as spurres clapt to their sides I will onely speake of two that they are Shepheards and Watchmen The Ministers are Pastors or Shepheards Ezek. 34.2 Eph. 4 11. Iere. 23 1 the church of God is as a flocke of sheepe subiect to many enemies as the diuell seducers deceiuers heretickes euill dooers euen as an heard is to many wolues and therefore they must be carefully looked vnto Besides they are called watchmen the Church is as a Citty besieged day and night by strong and mighty enemies Ezek. 3 17. Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israel therfore heare the word at my mouth giue them warning from me It behoueth therefore the spiritual watchman to keepe diligent watch Secondly the Ministers are fitly called the Reason 2 Lords committees and therefore they must giue an account for the soules committed vnto their charge Our life must goe for their liues our soule must answer for their soules if they perish through our default This the Apostle declareth Heb. 13 17. Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that
stood that he did euer so much as sauour of any goodnesse that could not abide a faithfull Minister I deny not but he may deceiue himselfe but God is not mocked he may pretend piety but it is nothing but cursed and cankered hypocrisie The word is the seed of regeneration it cannot therfore be that such as haue bin brought to the state of grace and saluation by this precious seed of the word should abase abuse those by whom they haue beene begotten Will a sonne except he do degenerate and become a monster reuile him that brought him into this world and gaue him life and breath So is it as vnnaturall and much more to contemne the spirituall fathers of our soules forasmuch as of the fathers of our bodies we receiue only temporall life but of these eternal It is wel said by one of the ancients Ignat. ad 〈◊〉 that whosoeuer despiseth the Preachers of the Gospel is an Atheist and prophane person and a despiser of Christ himselfe These do not onely sinne against God and against the Gospel but against their owne soules they hinder their owne saluation and the saluation of many others and so make their meanes vnauailable and commit a sinne more heinous and horrible then that of Onan who spilled his seed on the ground least he should giue seed vnto his brother Gen. 38.9 The seed of the word is immortall and remaineth for euer and therefore is of greater price so that they are spirituall murtherers of thousand soules that seeke to spill it and spoile it as water on the earth least it should fructifie in the hearts of men If wee should see a man pull out his owne eyes that he might not see or cut off his eares that he might not heare wee would all pitty his case and say he were running madde But thus it fareth with these irreligious persoÌ„s they make them selues blinde that they might be without seeing they make themselues deafe that they might be without hearing and they harden their hearts that they might be without feeling â—s de Sacer. â—3 cap. 5. This is spirituall and desperate madnesse to despise so great a blessing without which we cannot be saued nor obtaine any good things promised vnto vs. And howsoeuer these men to excuse their owne impiety and to blinde the eyes of the simple will pretend loue and liking to the word it selfe yet they vtterly deceiue themselues for this is one rule to be obserued and learned of vs that whosoeuer abuseth the Ministers despiseth also the Ministery as he that liketh the Phisicke by which he is to be recouered will also make much of the Phisition whose counsell he hath vsed Whosoeuer accounteth not the feet of those beautifull that bring glad tydings of peace will not much esteeme the Gospel it selfe and whosoeuer despiseth the Messenger will not regard the message that is deliuered vnto him For the Ministery is the ordinary meanes wherby it pleaseth God to saue those that beleeue Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.21 Let this be also another rule that whosoeuer account the Ministery of the Gospel as vile in their eyes it shall be easier for them of Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of iudgement then for them Mat. 10.15 and 11.24 yea Christ our Sauiour willeth his Apostles to shake off the dust of their feete â—ct 13.51 as witnesse against them that heare not their words neither receiue their persons Wherefore this also shall be another rule that to abuse the Ministers of the word and esteeme them as the of-scourings of the world whose feet as we heard are beautifull to all the elect because they bring glad tidings of peace and of all good things is an horrible sinne highly displeasing to God greeuously prouoking him to anger and swiftly calling downe iudgement vpon their heads Wherefore hee saith in the Prophet Touch not mine Annointed and doe my Prophets no harme And Moses prayeth to God on the behalfe of Leui â—eut 33.11 to smite thorough the loynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not againe The persons of Embassadours are by law of al Nations sacred and inuiolable Cicer. in Verr. act 1. Orat de Harus resp pro leg Manilia the heathen saw it and set it downe and neuer ceassed to reuenge the wrongs done vnto them both vpon particular persons and vpon whole Cities The Law of God and man sacred and prophane account the iniuries done vnto a messenger as done against him who sent him and therfore they were wont to be safely garded and protected not only in times of peace but amiddes the weapons and naked swords of the enemies Dauid reuenged most sharpely the iniuries and indignities offered to his Embassadours with the ouerthrow of the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. and neuer did he shew the like exemplary punishment in that extrem manner Do earthly Princes and States reuenge the wrongs offered to their seruants sent out by commandement and commission from them and shall we thinke that the Lord of hostes the king of kings who is the God of vengeance will suffer the opprobries contumelies and contempts offered to his messengers to goe vnpunished The Ministers are the high Embassadours of God so that they send not themselues but are sent out of him and they execute not their owne willes but his will and therefore the infinite Maiestie of almighty God is violated and abused in the indignities that are offered vnto them and doubtlesse he will auenge his seruants which cry day and night vnto him Luk. 18.7 8. though he beare long with his enemies I tell you he will auenge them speedily No man offending in this kinde of vnkinde abuses toward them euer escaped the punishments of God How often did God plague his people in the wildernesse when they rose vp against Moses and Aaron the Ministers of God for their good who taught Iacob his iudgments and Israel his lawes When Ieroboam stretched out his hand against the Prophet to lay hold on him 1 Kin. 13 4. his hand wasted and withered so that albeit he put it out yet he was not able to pull it in againe The two Captaines with their fifties 2 Kin. 1.10.12 sent out by Ahaziah to apprehend the Prophet were destroyed with fire from heauen and neuer returned to bring their master word how they spedde The leude and vngracious children that mocked Elisha 2 Kin. 2.23 24 and vpbraided him with his baldenesse were torne in peeces by two Beares that came out of the wood vpon them The people of Israel that misused the messengers of God and contemned the Prophets 2 Chro. 36.16 that spake vnto them early and late were reiected and carryed into captiuity into the land of their enemies Neither is it to be maruelled at Act. 5.39 that God hath sent such strange examples of his wrath and indignation vpon the contemners of his Ministers forasmuch as they are as
immediately going before where he willeth them to heale the sicke to clense the leapers to raise vp the dead and to cast out diuels If they be extended farther because he willed them to goe and preach â—ath 10 7. saying The Kingdome of God is at hand he forbiddeth them to set the Gospel to sale as that which standeth at offer and proffer so that the Minister must not be giuen to filthy lucre 1 Tim. 3 3. Tit. 1 7. So then they do giue freely who do not intend gaine as the reward of their labours nor set it before their eyes as the marke they aime at but desire nothing more then the glory of God and the saluation of the Church and referre thereunto all their studies and endeuourss They that onely or cheefely seeke their owne wealth are truly called hirelings whereas the seruants of God haue him before their eyes of whom they are sent that so they may feed the flocke with knowledge and doctrine â—biection Againe it may be saide that Paul witnesseth he tooke nothing of the Corinthians and that he laboured with his owne hands Acts 20 34. 1 Cor. 4 12. I answer â—nswer the Apostle in taking nothing of that Church considered what did belong to the edification of that Church neuerthelesse the brethren that came from Macedonia supplied his wants and helped him in his necessities But of this we spake more at large in the former doctrine Vse 3 Thirdly let no man presume to refuse and reiect the Ministery as thinking themselues or their children too high or this calling too low for them thinking themselues too honourable and this office too contemptible for their persons No man is too good to serue God at the Altar and to minister in his Sanctuary If any refuse the Ministery in regard of his birth and his wealth or worth or gifts he deceiueth himselfe and ouervalueth his owne condition for who is sufficient for these things Cor. 2 16. We are a thousand fold more vnworthy to be Ministers then the Ministery can be thought vnworthy of vs. Noah was the Prince of the world yet a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2 5. Melchizedech was both King of Salem and a Priest of the most high God Heb. 7 1. Gen. 14 18. Samuel was both a Iudge of the people and a Prophet of God 1 Sam 3 20. and 7 15. Dauid was both a King a Prophet And albeit certaine Kings haue beene Prophets yet it was no greater credite to the Ministery that Kings were Prophets then commendation to Kings themselues that they were Prophets as it was a greater glory to Kings that they haue beene Philosophers then credite to Philosophy that Kings haue studied professed and imbraced it The Son of God our Lord Iesus Christ before his incarnation was the Teacher of his people for by his Spirit he spake in the Patriarkes Prophets and was the Messenger of God and therefore called the Angell of the Couenant and after that he tooke our flesh and nature vpon him being the seed of Abraham he professed that he was sent to preach deliuerance to the captiues the acceptable yeare of the Lord Luke 4 18 19 43. He was equall in glory with the Father yet this was his calling and worke while he liued vpon the earth God the Father thought it a meet office to be committed to his onely begotten Sonne and should it seeme a reprochfull office to his seruants If he were annointed to be both our King Prophet and Priest let not vs despise prophesie Nay not onely the Sonne of God as he was man disdained not this function but God himselfe in Paradise was a Preacher of the Gospel Gen. 3 15. The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head Math 17 5. and the Spirit of God is as it were a fellow-worker with the labours of the Ministers Besides the Angels themselues most glorious creatures that alwayes behold the face of the Father that is in heauen haue not refused to be the publishers of this message Luke 2 9 10. Wherefore all such as GOD hath blessed with forward and toward children as a speciall mercy toward them and withall bestowed the goods of this world vpon them enabling them to maintain them in schooles of learning ought to further the building of Gods Church and to thinke it no disgrace or disparagement vnto them to apply their sonnes to be workmen in this spirituall building and so to dedicate them vnto God as godly Hannah gaue Samuel vnto the Lord that so long as he liued he might bee giuen vnto the Lord 1 Sam. 1 28. It is a thing greatly to be lamented that this high office of preaching the word is so contemned by all of high calling that the Nobility vtterly shunne it the greatest part of the Gentry of the Land generally refuse it eyther as base in it selfe or at least as base to them or in them Great mens children are set to study mans law but it beseemeth not their greatnesse to study Gods law To be sent on Embassage in the affaires of a Prince is a great honour but to be sent with Gods message in his mouth is esteemed a disgrace Ye fooles and blinde whether is greater God or man Whose message is most honourable Gods or else mans We see in the Popedome how men of countenance and estimation are not ashamed to giue their children to the Popes seruice and beare the mark of the beast and refuse not to haue theÌ„ neerely and ill-fauouredly shauen vntill they haue scarce one haire of an honest man left vnto them Cardinal Pool nay some of the blood royall haue taken vpon them the orders or rather the disorders of that Hierarchy as we haue examples in our owne Chronicles Princes themselues haue renounced their crowns and kingdoms and entred into Monasteries haue put their sonnes and daughters into Cloysters It is very apparent that Princes among the Heathen were also Priests Shall not these being poore blinde Idolaters that knew not GOD aright stand vp at the day of iudgement against vs to condemne vs that haue so little care or loue to the Lords Temple that the seruing of him there is become so vile a thing as it is not beseeming a mans sonne of any countenance and reputation in the world So that they will not set their hand to the Lords Plough but scorne it almost as much as to go to plough and cart The Prophet Esaias as it is probably collected was of a very noble linage See the Argument of the Geneua translation Prolego Vrsini in Esay sonne to Amos who was brother vnto Amaziah King of Iuda and therefore thought to be of the blood royall as the Hebrew writers agree who had the bookes of Genealogies extant among them The Prophet Daniel with Hananiah Mishael Azariah were of the Kings seed Dan. 1 3. We heard before that Christ himselfe the Lord of life and the most honourable person
vnder others and euery one should continue in his state and standing without breaking the bounds limited vnto him If he be cursed of God and man Deut. 27 17. that remoueth his neighbours Land-marke much more are they to be reproued that exalt themselues beyond their callings like the seruants that breake from their masters The Elements keepe their places and the whole frame of heauen earth stand by the appointment of him that set them and set forth the glory of God therein so ought it to be with vs Psal 19 1. we haue our places assigned vnto vs. In euery estate whether we want or abound whether we be full or empty wee should be content Philip. 4. and not wittingly murmure against God or enuiously grudge against our brother or fradulently purloyne away his goods For first of all may not the Lord of all doe with his owne what he will Math. 20 verse 15. Or is our eye euill and our hand false because his eye is good and his hand liberall and bountifull Or who are we that thus dispute with him Is it not enough to bee of the Kings houshold but wee must also climbe higher and seeke to be of his priuie counsell Or is it not sufficient to be seruants in the family but we must also be Stewards ouer others Is it not foolishnesse and extreme madnesse to refuse to enter into the kingdome of Heauen because we may not bee chusers of our owne way as if a seruant should scorne to doe his masters seruice except he may waite vpō him in a better coate then his fellowes We were wont to say in a common Prouerbe that beggers must be no chusers we are all of vs poore beggers and liue by almes for albeit others beg of vs yet we all stand at the gate of Gods mercy and beg our bread of him saying Math. 6 11. Giue vs this day and this day our daily bread We cannot liue one houre without him nay in him we liue and moue and haue our being Acts 17 28. If he stop our breath we are gone and therefore we must depend on him Againe it is the preseruing of humane societies common-wealths that some should be superiors and some inferiors some should honour and some be honoured some rich 1 Sam. 2 7. and some poore some weake and some be strong some learned and some vnlearned some noble and some vnnoble without this no pollicy can stand No man must thinke the condition wherein he is placed more vnfit for him then for another nor imagine that hee hath deserued better then another at GODS hand to bee preferred before him nor surmise that hee hath any thing which hee hath not receiued nor iudge by ouervaluing himselfe and his owne worth that he hath merited much more then he enioyeth 1 Cor. 12 18. We see how it is with vs in our naturall bodies euery part is not an head or an hart or an eye we haue also hands and feete and these are necessary in their places Some members are more excellent and some lesse excellent but none can be spared Such then as lift themselues vp aboue their brethren and disdaine the places appointed for them because they are not high enough do carry about them euen in their owne bodies a sufficient witnesse against themselues Thirdly the Lord thus dealeth to manifest the glory of his wisedome and power he will cast downe those whom hee purposeth to aduance and many times afflict them with pouerty whom he meaneth to enrich with endlesse glory The Apostle Iames calleth vs to the consideration of this point ch 2 5. Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which hee hath promised to them that loue him It is a generall rule set downe by Christ our Sauiour in the Gospel whosoeuer lifteth vp himselfe shall be cast downe and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Thus he dealt with Ioseph with Dauid with Moses with Hannah and diuers others yea with his owne Sonne Luke 24 to whose image we must be like who must suffer many things at the hands of sinners before he entred into his glory and the liker we are made to him the more happy are we Fourthly let vs consider that we are heere as it were in a prison or pilgrimage in a place of bondage or banishment This world was not made to be our heauen or Paradise where we should haue ioy without sorrow pleasure without paine abundance without want health without sicknesse riches without pouerty and happinesse without misery We are heere as pilgrims and strangers when wee come into our Country and enter into that City Heb. 11 10. the builder and maker whereof is God we shall rest from our labours and receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory It were too great couetousnesse to desire two heauens one in earth another aboue the earth one in this life another after this life Our Sauiour speaketh vnto vs as vnto his children Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the Kingdome Luke 12 32. We are not now at home but from home neyther can we obtaine any thing heere that can make vs happy we are like to vanity and our daies are as a shaddow that vanisheth away We sigh and are burdened because we would be in our owne habitation This world and all things in it shall haue an end and there is no trust in it Fiftly it is Gods will to prooue our patience how we will beare affliction and take vp our crosse following him as becommeth the good Disciples of Christ Not thereby to gaine any knowledge vnto himselfe but to bring vs to the knowledg of our selues Hence it is that the Apostle Iames Iames 1◠Rom. 5 4. saith The trying of your faith worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed We thinke our selues strong before wee come to the battell but what our courage is cannot be knowne vntill the field be fought If wee haue resisted the enemy in the face and not giuen backe when we haue beene assaulted we haue sealed vp to our own soules what we can suffer for Christs sake knowing that which the same Apostle saith afterward Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he is tryed Iames 1 12 he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Lastly let vs set before vs the example of Christ who being the naturall Sonne of God Lord of heauen and earth the heire apparent of Gods glorious kingdome took vpon him the forme of a seruant humbled himselfe Phil. 2.7 and became obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse As his birth was so was his life and as his life was so was his death He was conceiued of a poore Virgin he was borne in a stable he was wrapped in swadling clothes
because hee is not able to encrease and enrich them Thus then by giuing vnto a few he sheweth that he can store and replenish all the rest if it pleased him Secondly to releeue his owne seruants in time of need to deliuer their soul from death and to keepe them aliue in famine Psal 33.19 He knoweth well enough that the very mercies of the wicked are cruelty Prou. 12.10 they are handfasted and hard-hearted and they are least of all mooued to pitty Gods people he therefore prouideth for the welfare of his seruants by making one Christian brother able to releeue another as we haue plentifull examples in the acts of the Apostles chap. 4.34 35 36. Thirdly he maketh them many times to inherit the labours of wicked men and of such as are their enemies as we see his people had the treasures of Egypt Exod. 12. Psal 44.3 The Egyptians would not recompence them therefore the Lord doth recompence them Fourthly they are in Christ heires of the world for all that are sonnes are also heires Rom. 8.17 the heires of God and ioynt-heires with Christ Hence it is that some recouer their possession though al cannot according to their right and title God made all things for his friends not for his enemies who are no better then vsurpers Vse 1 The Vses follow First it reprooueth the beggerly vow of voluntary pouerty vndertaken by the Popish Order No such vow is found in the old Testament whiles vowes were most in vse and in force This is accounted a vow of perfection but it hindreth the doing of much good because it is better to giue then to receiue Act. 20.35 Wherefore the begging Fryars are boasting fooles proudly glorying in perfection when they may worthily be ashamed of their imperfections They think they deserue heauen by it when indeed they are in danger of hel For it is one thing to haue riches and another to trust in riches whereas they will seeme to cast them away vnder a colour of feare lest they should cast them away But may any among them compare with sundry of Gods seruants who kept their goods and did much good with them to Gods glory and the good of others may they euen the best of them parallell themselues with Abraham in faith with Iob in patience with Ioseph in chastity with Lot in piety with Lazarus in hospitality with Zaccheus in liberality with the godly women in charity whatsoeuer they pretend to the contrary Prou. 10.22 And as riches giuen by the blessing of God condemne no man so it is certaine pouerty can saue no man neither can it merit life and saluation as the cloystermen dreame Vse 2 Secondly obserue that riches are not euill of themselues or in their owne nature neither are they any way hinderers of Gods kingdome the fault is in the person and in the abuse of them And the best things are abused as well as riches yet we may not thereupon conclude that the best things are bad But it will be obiected Obiect that Christ saith It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Matâ—h 19. euen easier for a Camel to goe through the c. I answer Answer we must compare Scripture by Scripture as it is said Tremel in 〈◊〉 hâ—m 8. the Leuites did expound the meaning and gaue the vnderstanding by the Scripture it selfe The Euangelist Marke repeating this history expoundeth it plainely For Christ hauing said How hardly shall they that haue riches enter into the kingdome of GOD and the disciples being astonied at his words he addeth by way of explication Children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdome of God! then this followeth It is easier for a Camel c. where we see he distinguisheth of rich some are such as trust in God not in their riches some trust in their riches not in GOD. Of these that make their riches their God and their Mammon to be their hope and heauen it is true that a Camell shall sooner goe through the eye of a needle then such rich men get into the kingdome of God Mar. 10.23 24. Mar. 10.23.24 But they are thornes and snares thornes to choke Obiection and snares to catch and entangle the soule so they are called in the parable of the sower Luke 8. and by the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. I answere Answ It is true but the fault is not in the nature of the riches but in the corruption of the rich man not by the vse but through the abuse of them For if they were euill of themselues then should all rich men be choaked and snared by them drawn into euill which by the former examples and by present experience we know not be so Obiect But Christ willeth the rich man to sell the things he did possesse and giue them to the poore by this it should appeare to be vnlawfull to keep them I answere Answer this is a particular commandement giuen to him to try him and prooue what was in him to discouer his pride and hypocrisie pleasing himselfe in a false opinion of his strength sufficiency and ability to keepe the Law that so if it were possible his eies might be opened to see his owne weakenesse and himselfe to be wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked For in that he went away sorrowfull and submitted not himselfe to the voyce of Christ hee declared plainely that he made more reckoning of his wealth then he did of Christ and that he had more mind to follow the world then to obey the word deliuered vnto him Thirdly wee must learne when we haue Vse 3 these blessings to be thankefull to God that gaue them and to lift vp our eyes to him of whom we receiued them For albeit these earthly blessings bee common to the godly and the vngodly yet are they not common to all the godly inasmuch as they are giuen vnto some but denyed vnto other bestowed vppon a few but withholden from many This duty hath many branches First wee must acknowledge from whence they come The branâ—â— of thanâ—â—â—nesse and that we haue receiued them of his meere grace Woe then to those that sacrifice to their owne nette and ascribe the blessings of God onely to their owne labour and industry For except the Lord build the house the labour of the builder is in vaine and except the Lord keepe the City the watchman waketh in vaine it is in vaine for you to rise vp early to sit vp late and to eate the bread of sorrowes it is God that giueth his beloued sleepe Psal 127.1.2 True it is God hath laid vpon vs this duty to labour and requireth that euery man eate his bread with the sweat of his browes for no promise is made to the idle yet wee must depend vpon him for a blessing vpon our labours or else we are not thankefull vnto him Againe we must be carefull to vse them
comming shall haue fanned away all the reprobate and blowne them by the breath of his mouth and the power of his sentence into hell as the doome of their deserts then shall innumerable multitudes of the elect stand vp and lift vp their heads because their redemption is accomplished and cry with a loud voyce Hallelu-iah Thirdly let no man be dismayed at the great Vse 3 number of the wicked and of prophane persons that couer the earth as grassehoppers and swarme in euery place as hornets Idolaters heathen barbarians and others out of the Church together with vnbeleeuers and scorners in the Church The Apostle saith the whole world lyeth in wickednesse 1 Ioh. 5.19 neuerthelesse God hath a very great people euen a world of people that belong vnto him Eliah could see few when indeed there were many when he thought he had beene left alone what saith the answer of God vnto him I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand which haue not bowed the knee to the image of Baal Rom. 11.4 And God telleth Paul hee had much people in one onely citie Act. 18.10 yea by the preaching of Peter three thousand soules were gained vnto God in one day Act. 2.41 Let vs not therefore be offended at the paucity or scarcity of the godly which embrace the Gospel as if the haruest were little neither let vs doubt of the trueth thereof nor start backe from the profession of it because few embrace it beleeue it and confesse it It hath alwayes beene the manner of men for the most part to haue respect to the greatest multitudes and to haue the faith in respect of persons Iam. 2.1 because they thinke it best to do as the most do and to beleeue as the greatest number doe without any farther search or triall of the truth These time-seruers and men-pleasers perswade themselues that it is incredible and vnreasonable that God should suffer the greatest number to run into the way of error to fall into the pit of destruction This made the Pharisees say Ioh 7.8.49 Haue any of the rulers or of the Pharisees beleeued on him But though these beleeue not shall the promise be to none effect No doubtlesse the Church shall abound with many children as a fruitfull mother and shall stretch forth the curtaines of her habitations But how then is it said to be a little flocke and they to be few that enter into the straight gate and the narrow way This is spoken by comparison of the vngodly reprobate who as they abound in euill so they doe in multitude and therefore Christ saith Many are called but few chosen Mat. 20.16 There are many reprobates but few elected The Apostle saith Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant shall be saued Rom. 9.27 Neuerthelesse the people of God considered in themselues are many wee shall not be alone we shall haue much company to goe with vs to the kingdome of heauen Vse 4 Fourthly iudge not rashly of particular persons whether they be in the number of the reprobate or of the elect whether they be vessels of mercy or vessels of wrath This is one of the secrets of God which is hidden from vs. Against curiosity in the affaiâ—es of God No man ought to search into the secrets of a Prince but who shall presume to pry into the highest mysteries of God It is enough for vs that he hath admitted vs to be of his court howbeit he hath not made vs of his priuy counsell To presume aboue that which we ought is a labour like vnto his who not contented with a knowne and safe foord will vndertake to passe ouer the greatest riuer where hee is ignorant of the depthes for so doth the one lose his life the other his iudgment and vnderstanding We behold the Sun and enioy the light thereof as long as we look toward it but tenderly and circumspectly we warme our selues safely while we stand neere the fire but if we seeke to outface the one or enter the other we are immediately either blinded or burned The Apostle saith Hath God cast away his people no in no wise not any one of these which he foreknew Rom 11. â— 2. And elswhere he saith 1 Cor. 4.5 Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of darknes and make manifest the counsels of the heart He hath many sheepe that are without and therefore we must hope the best of all and not despaire of the conuersion of any We are not to despaire of any mans conuersion though they be vnbeleeuers and vnregenerate For the power of God is greater then our weakenesse and his mercy is greater then our sinnes It is in his hand to deliuer the offender out of prison and to loose the fetters of vnbeleefe It is our duty to pray for them vnto God that he would giue them faith to beleeue in his onely begotten Sonne our redeemer If the Sonne make them free then they shall be free indeed Vse 5 Fiftly let vs vse all good and lawful means to draw on others seeking to winne those that are contrary minded to vs and to vnty the cordes of sinne whereby Satan keepeth them as bondmen in chaines of â—ron Wee must labour to draw them to a loue of the truth and cast out the net of the Gospel it may be at length we may catch some The disciples had laboured and toiled all night and caught nothing yet neuerthelesse at the commandement of Christ they were content to let downe the net and when they had done so they inclosed a great multitude of fishes Luke 5.5 6. We should be all fishers of men especially the Ministers but generally all to exhort to admonish to teach to stirre vp and to instruct one anoother Such a fisher was the woman of Samaria who left her water pot at the well and ranne into the city and prouoked them to come foorth and heare the Lord Iesus Ioh. 4.28.29 Such a fisher was Andrew who findeth his brother Simon first and saith vnto him Wee haue found the Messias which is being interpreted the Christ Ioh. 1.41 and hee brought him to Iesus And as Philip like a fish was taken with the net of Christ verse 43. so by and by he playeth the fisher for he findeth Nathaniel and saith vnto him we haue found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Iesus of Nazareth verse 45. Happy are they that be found such fishers and happy are they that gaine one soule to God yea happy and thrice happy are they that as good fish are taken with the hook and bait of the Gospel Lastly we are bound to praise God for the Vse 6 encrease of his people when he addeth vnto the Church such as shall be saued When a member of the body that was without feeling and taken as it were with a dead palsy is
from vs Mat. 25.28 My seruant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all my house In these words we haue a notable description of Moses to his perpetuall commendation and praise with God and men It is a notable dignity and prerogatiue to bee the seruant of the high God How doe men delight to shroud themselues vnder the liueries of great men and how much do they take themselues to be honoured by it how much more ought wee to labour to approoue our selues in the presence of the mighty God and to shew our selues to be his faithfull seruants Obserue farther the title giuen to the church What is ment b the house of God it is called the house of God wherby he doth not meane the Tabernacle but the people of God ouer whom he was made ouerseer so that he putteth the place for those in the place the house for the family of God in the house as Cornelius the captaine is said to beleeue and to be baptized with all his house that is his houshold so heere we vnderstand the family and church of God committed to his charge which he led ruled and gouerned aright as a faithfull seruant to his master Doctrine The faithfull are the house of God The doctrine is this that the Church or faithfull are the house of God Hebr. 3.6 1 Tim. 3.15 2. Cor. 6.16 The reasons are plaine God dwelleth in it Reason 1 as a master in an house there doth manifest and communicate himselfe familiarly to his people as 2 Cor. 6 16. Secondly it is called his portion and his inheritance Deut. 32 9. It is his treasure and his flocke Acts 20 28. 1. Pet. 5 2 3. Thirdly it resembleth an house which hath some builder owner and lawes by which it is ruled God is the owner of the Church he hath builded it by his Sonne Pro. 9 1. Hebr. 3 4. who hath purchased it to bee peculiar to himselfe through his owne blood and therefore the Church may fitly and iustly be called his he bought it with a great price it cost him deare before he could redeeme it It was before the diuels house Math. 12 44. He layeth claime to vs and chalengeth man to be his owne the Lord Iesus tooke them out of his hand purchased them by giuing his life whereby we are become his possession This serueth to proue Christ to bee true Vse 1 God equall to the Father against such heretikes as deny his deity This house wherein Moses is commended to bee faithfull is his house he is the heire of it the owner of it the great Sheepheard of the sheepe it is he that dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3 17. This house belongeth to none properly but to God it is not the house of Moses or of any man or Angel but the house of God Now this is truely called the house of Christ Heb. 3. and therefore Christ is God It is he that did build it and set it vp No house can build it selfe for nothing can be the cause of it selfe but must be caused by some other so must the house be builded and made by another Secondly conclude from hence that there Vse 2 is one onely true Church of the old and new Testament The house of God and of Christ is one wherein Moses long agoe was faithful and it is that which we our selues are Therefore his dwelling house is the same This house hath continued from the beginning shall continue vnto the end It needeth indeed often repairing but it shall neuer be abolished and taken out of the world True it is the Iewish Church had many types and ceremonies howbeit in substance it is the same with the christian Church Thirdly we may gather the safe condition Vse 3 of the Church For who shall fight against the inheritance which he hath purchased or ruine the house which he hath builded or enter vpon the possession which he hath obtained and bought lawfully at a deare price and bee able to preuaile We see by experience that a man will spend limbe and life for his house land where he dwelleth and which he bought and paid for dearely And will not God defend his inheritance which he knew before whom he chose to be his before the world whom in time he called iustified sanctified will glorifie for whom he sent his onely begotten Sonne from his owne bosome to lay downe his life This made the Prophet say Israel is an hallowed thing whosoeuer eateth it shall be consumed and come to nought Ier. 2 v. 3. Iohn 10 28 29 We are his giuen vnto him by the Father and he will neuer lose vs no man can take them out of his hand This is a singular prerogatiue of the faithfull that Christ dwelleth with them and abideth in them Ioh. 14 23. Eph. 2 19 20. He will neuer suffer his house to perish but giueth them his assurance and assistance to continue with them which cannot agree with popish doubting and wauering 2 Tim. 2 19. 1 Pet. 1 5. True it is such is our weaknesse that we are ready to giue ouer our hold of God but he will neuer giue ouer the hold that he hath of vs. His ancre is so firmely setled and fixed vpon the ground of our heart that no stormes or tempests can shake or loose it We are prone to leaue him but he is resolued not to leaue vs or to lose vs. The Lord hath bought vs too dearely to part so lightly from vs. Our state therefore is sure and certaine we shall not fall away for euer whatsoeuer the Church of Rome holdeth teacheth and defendeth Lastly let vs labour to be of the houshold of faith Let vs not be prophane in life and Vse loose in conuersation but separate from the wicked of the world which are no part of Gods house We cannot be of the houshold of faith and of the houshold of infidelity and impiety forasmuch as there is no concord or agreement no fellowship or communion betweene light darknesse 2 Cor. 6 19 20. Let vs prepare for Christ a good lodging and entertainment in our hearts that he may dwell in vs. Let vs not offend him or greeue him or driue him away by our sins and disobedience as Heb. 3 6. His house we are if wee hold fast the confidence and the reioycing of the hope firme vnto the end Who is faithfull in all my house Moses receiueth this commendation from the mouth of God that he was found faithfull a faithful teacher a faithfull Prophet publishing the will of God to the Church The doctrine is Doctrâ—â—â— The M◠〈…〉 their pâ— It is required of all the Ministers of God that they be found faithfull and conscionable in their places 1 Sam. 2 35. Math. 24 45. Luke 12 42. 1 Cor. 4 2 17. The Prophets of God did stand vpon their watchtower they hearkned and heard what the people did So did the Apostles and so they taught
Reason 1 are first because they refuse to heare God speaking vnto them it standeth with the rule of equity that God should deale with them as they deale with him Ezek. 8.8 Zach 7.12 13. and stop his eares against those that will not heare him Secondly his Reason 2 wrath lyeth vpon them Vse 1 Conclude from hence that the prayers of the wicked are abominable Pro. 28. Not only their sinnes prouoke God but their prayers and their best works so that thogh they multiply them yet he will not regard them This sheweth their wretched estate and condition they haue no accesse to God they may come to his gate but they can haue no entraÌ„ce it is shut vp against them They may knock say Lord Lord Luk. 13.25 open vnto vs but he wil answere Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity I know you not Secondly let none continue in any known Vse 2 sin but wash their hearts and bee reconciled vnto God For sin stoppeth the eares of God that he cannot heare and casteth such heauy clogs vpon our prayers that they cannot possibly pierce the cloudes ascend into heauen and come into the presence of God Our iniquities wherein we delight are as fetters and bolts that are fastned to our prayers or as lead that presseth them down to the earth The life of a sinner is vncomfortable The life of a sinner that lieth in his sinnes is of all other liues the most vncomfortable For if we cannot pray to God in hope of mercy forgiuenes when our sins disquiet vs or in hope of deliuerance when our troubles oppresse vs what comfort haue we or can we haue in any thing vnder the Sun On the other side when the faithfull lye vnder infinite calamities The Life of the faithâ—ull is most comfortable sicknes pouerty shame contempt reproch slander infamy sicknes being forsaken of all and hated of all euen laden with an heap of misery and aduersity yet this is their comfort they can freely go vnto God haue accesse to the throne of grace they may pray vnto him as it were poure out their coÌ„plaints in his bosom Lastly it is our duty being reconciled vnto Vse God to be reconciled to our brethreÌ„ also For no man is truely at one with God Mat. 6 1â— and 3. â— that is not made one with his brother and except we forgiue men their trespasses our heauenly Father will neuer forgiue vs therfore whensoeuer we bring our gift to the altar and there remember that our brother hath ought against vs we must leaue our gift before the altar and goe our way to be reconciled first of al to our brother As then we desire forgiuenes of God so ought we to forgiue God forgiueth vpon condition that we shal forgiue Those that are vnmercifull shal neuer find mercy We cannot haue a more perfect president to mooue vs to mercy then to consider how God dealeth with vs he considereth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust We think it much and oftentimes complaine that God will not heare our prayers but we seeldome or neuer consider that the fault is in our selues because we wil not heare our brethren And what exception can we take against our brethren which God may not ten thousand times better except against vs Haue we deserued better at their hands then to bee so abused as we pretend our selus to be so hath God of vs and we cannot deny it Are we his betters and superiours So is God ours We vse to say we are not for him we liue not by him we can liue well enough without him Neither doth God liue by vs but we by him and he can liue without vs who liued before vs but not we without him Haue we often warned him to looke to his wayes and not to abuse vs any longer So hath God often warned vs. Haue we receiued wrong after wrong and forgiuen seuen times or seuenty times seuen times So hath God forgiuen vs ten thousand talents for an hundred pence Matth. 1â— 28. If then we retaine any malice in our harts our prayers are not regarded nay they are reiected as vile and abominable Alas my Lord I beseech thee lay not the sinne vpoÌ„ vs wherin we haue done foolishly c. obserue here a notable point in Aaron he is not striken with the leprosie but is free from it altogether Miriam is stricken with the leprosie but it is Aaron that calleth for mercy when he looked vpon her and saw it for the Priests were appointed to looke vpon it and to pronounce the person to be either cleane or vncleane so that punishments vpon others should cause vs to amend and to looke to our selues Againe we ought to desire the good one of another to haue a fellow-feeling of the miseries one of another See also that he is as much humbled and cast downe nay more then she is for this sinne and confesseth he had done amisse We learne hereby that sinne committed against God must touch vs and goe neere vnto vs though we feele no punishment â—â—â—â—ine 〈…〉 â—ght 〈…〉 sinne 〈◊〉 we 〈◊〉 puâ— Vpâ— It is no great matter to be humbled when the punishment is heauy vpon vs but to bee brought low euen vpon our knees and to say with Aron Alas lay not the sinne vpon vs is a notable and necessary duty required of vs. The most wicked men in the world that sinne with an high hand will confesse their sinne vnder the crosse while the hand of God lyeth vpon them as we see in Caine in Pharaoh in Saul in Iudas and others but this ariseth more in consideration of the punishment then of the sinne howbeit Aaron in this place felt no punishment though he were a companion in the offence which fell out in regard of the Priesthood For if any aske why he was not stricken with the leprosie forasmuch as he was guilty of the same iniquity I answere it was not that his offence was slight but because his office was great he was a liuely image of Christ Iesus our true Mediatour the onely begotten Sonne of God 〈◊〉 Aâ—â—on â—ot puâ—d God would not therfore bring his person into contempt and reproch lest the Priesthood also should bee reproched Besides he did not contriue it but consent to it and was drawne no doubt after a sort euen against his will by his sister into a fellowship of this murmuring as he had been before by the people to make the golden calfe she had the principall hanâ— in the sinne and consequently in the iudgment We must therfore be touched with sinne principally because it is sinne not because the punishment lyeth vpon vs but though we should neuer be punished and plagued though there were no day of iudgement no feare of hell no sentence of death no feeling of torment yet sin should be bitter and greeuous vnto vs euen because it is sin
Alâ—est 11 â—catech 15 in 2 Thes by most of the Ancients Lastly the conditions and qualities of Antichrist do bewray the same also Now hee is plainly described by the Apostle 2 Thess 2 4. yea so plainly as if then hee had bene alreadie come and reuealed to the world He is saide to bee an aduersary opposed to Christ yet not professed but disguised for vnder the maske and vizard of hypocrisie he oppugneth Christ and his truth and denieth the Lord Iesus to be that Christ annointed to be the only King the onely Priest and the onely Prophet of the church in all which the byshop of Rome will haue a share and communicateth them to others This high priest is no better then an apostate a star falne from heauen he lifteth vp himselfe aboue all that is called God that is all to whom the name of God is communicated and sitteth in the temple of God as god Fourthly a perfect papist that is such a one as acknowledgeth the Councell of Trent and is obedient to the doctrine of the Iesuites caÌ„not be a good subiect neither obey for conscience sake for he beleeueth the Popes sentence in excommunication to be good nay to be Gods sentence hee obeyes so long as pleaseth the pope and his instruments he keepeth not promise or oath with heretikes he receiueth pardons to free from loyalty and allegeance harboureth Seminaries looketh for a golden day practiseth the most diuellish deuices to establish popery entertaineth conference with his Princes sworne enemies and maintaineth that this proud prelate may depose Princes by his priestly power Lastly it is daÌ„gerous to Prince and State to permit them forasmuch as hereby they haue meanes to work and wreak their malice Recusants will conuerse with Iesuites most freely and Iesuites shall not bee kept to any good termes and behauior whereby the secrets of the land are disclosed home-bred foes are encreased good subiects are discoraged and meanes affoorded to hollow-hearted enemies to forecast and to fortify themselues Vse 2 Secondly this serueth to reproue diuers sorts that erre in practise offend against this rule And first of all such as seek reuenge and therby shew themselues far from true loue To reuenge wrongs is proper to God we must not intrude vpon his office neither vsurp his right Deu. 32 35. Ro. 12 19. Heb. 10 30. Psal 94 1. Pro. 14 29. If we practise this wee worke wickednes against him and prouoke him to work reuenge vpon our selues Is it a small offence for any subiect to vsurp the office of the Prince or of the Iudge in giuing sentence vpon any Such vsurpers are such persons against GOD. Againe it serueth to rebuke such as will not forgiue how can such perswade themselues to be members of the church and one body with their brethreÌ„ while they refuse to be one with them These doe make an heauy law against themselues Mat. 6 14 15. 18 22. 5 44. 1 Pet. 3 8. Thirdly such as haue no feeling of the troubles calamities of their brethren Heb. 13 3. much more such as adde affliction to the afflicted The captiuate Iews complain against the insolency and cruelty of the Caldeans Ps 137 3. they required of them in scorn and derision to sing in their hearing one of the songs of Sion and made themselues merry when they saw them heauie hearted The enemies of God and his people are vnmerciful haue no pitty Esay 47 6. God reprooueth for this Psal 102 19. Lastly all members of the church should liue Vse 3 in all loue peace and concord one with another Gen. 13. considering we are brethren and auoid all dissention and discord As in the naturall body we see how one member is readie to aid affect another and stand for the good of another so should it be in the mysticall body all should be vnited together As the subiects of one Prince that belong to one kingdome are subiect to the same lawes bound to maintaine mutuall peace one with another so if God be our king and rule in our harts by his word and Spirit and if wee belong to his kingdome wee must imbrace one another in loue Ephes 4 3. and endeuor to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace We must do nothing through strife and vainglory Phil. 2.3 1 Cor. 1 10. We must all speake the same things that there be no diuision among vs. Hatred is a fruit of the flesh Gal. 5 20. Galath 6 2. On the other side to walk in loue is to walk in the spirit and it is a fruite of the gospell 1 Cor. 13.1 14 1. If we haue neuer so excellent gifts all remaine vnprofitable without this Now The way to try whether the loue of the brethren be in vs. the way to trie whether this be in vs toward the brethren is to examine it by these foure rules First Christian loue must not begin for any worldly respects nor end for wordly respects and considerations but principally must be for and in God Carnal loue is begun for carnall respects and therefore soon withereth away We must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ Ioh. 20 17. They are his brethren and he accounteth them so and therefore if God be our Father and Christ our brother they also must be our brethreÌ„ This is expressed by the Apostle 1 Iohn 5 1. Euerie one that loueth him that begate loueth him also which is begotten that is whosoeuer loueth God the Father loueth also the sonnes of God Secondly true Christian loue must not bee outward in shew onely but inward in the heart 1 Iohn 3 18. To loue in shew is the loue of Caine toward Abel Thirdly wee must loue those that are our enemies and hate vs for if we loue them onely that loue vs what singular thing do we or what reward haue wee Math. 5 46 47. Lastly Christian loue must not be onely in time of prosperity but is chiefely tried in aduersity when most neede is This rule is set downe by the Apostle Iohn Whosoeuer hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 1 Iohn 3 17. And Salomon sheweth that a friend loueth at all times and a brother is borne for aduersitie Prou. 17 7. In time of peace and plenty euery one will seeme a friend but not in miserie The poore is hated euen of his owne neighbour but the rich hath many friends Prouerbes chap. 14. verse 20. howbeit in time of neede is the true friend tried These rules must serue for our instruction wee must loue all those that are the sonnes of God by grace and adoption wee must loue al those that are the brethren of Christ by faith sanctification wee must loue them inwardly in truth and in heart wee must loue our enemies and not onely in
the stirring of vs vp to prayer We may now comfortably conclude to our owne consciences with the same Apostle I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God Let vs know then there is great vse of the crosse beeing assured that tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience â—om 5 5 4 5. and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Vse 2 Secondly we learne heereby not to promise to our selues worldly peace prosperity but prepare to endure the crosse before it cometh and know that the end of one crosse is the beginning of another while we liue heere We must not looke to finde heauen vpon earth we must not dreme of the victory before we fight We think of receiuing the prize but we wold not run the race We would put on the crown but we shun the crosse like those foolish husbandmen that would receiue the fruites of the earth but care not for the labour And surely the reason why we are many waies impatient vnder the crosse murmure vnder the mighty hand of God is because wee are vnprepared vnprouided to beare any storme or endure any triall We must not thinke to liue at ease and pleasure but know that whosoeuer taketh not vp his crosse cometh after Christ cannot be his Disciple So Paul teacheth Timothy Thou hast fully knowne my faith and my patience my persecutions which came vnto me but from them all the Lord deliuered me yea and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3 10 12. For as the head was first crowned with thornes so the members must not looke to liue in pleasures Lastly be not offended at the great afflictions Vse 3 that oftentimes we heare to befall the faithfull or we see to be vpon such as feare God let vs not maruaile and wonder at it as at some rare and strange thing much lesse should wee start backe from our profession for the persecutions and fiery trials that come vpon the Church Therfore the Apostle Iohn saith Maruaile not my brethren Iohn 4 13. though this world hate you nay rather we haue cause to reioyce that God vouchsafeth vs this honor not only to beleeue in him but to suffer for his Name This made Paul say Acts 21 13. being entreated that hee would not go vp to Ierusalem What do ye weeping and breaking mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Doubtlesse if we were of the world the world would loue his owne but because we are chosen out of the world therefore the world hateth vs. It is noted to the euerlasting praise of the Apostles Acts 5 21. Heb. 10 33 34. Cast not away therfore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward God hath no need of vs to maintaine his glory he is able to maintaine it without vs therefore it is a great priuiledge and prerogatiue that God calleth vs out to suffer for his Names sake Besides such and so great are our infirmities that the Lord might worthily make vs suffer for our owne sins and bring shame and confusion of faces vpon vs according to our owne deseruings Now in that he mercifully passeth ouer our faults and frailties couereth our transgressions and maketh vs suffer taunts reproches persecutions for his truth and Gospel it is a great honour and dignity whereunto he exalteth and aduanceth vs and therefore our Sauiour saith Blessed shall ye be when men reuile and persecute you say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsly reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Mat. 5 11 12. Wherfore let vs not shrinke backe for trouble but reioyce in our sufferings and praise God for our afflictions Ver. 16. But when we cried vnto the Lord he heard our voice therefore let vs passe through thy Country Heere we haue the third reason vsed to the Edomites to perswade them to giue them passage drawne from an experience of Gods helpe who seeing their misery and hearing their gronings brought them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now it would argue great cruelty to forsake those and leaue them in their affliction The strength of the reason of whoÌ„ God hath taken the protection If then God haue helped vs do not you deny vs helpe but God hath helped vs therfore deny not vs your helpe Thus the gracious dealing of God is propounded for their imitation This is a forcible and effectuall reason teaching vs this Doctrine Doctrine The consideratioÌ„ of Gods loue to his children must moue vs to mercy that the consideration of Gods loue mercy shewed to his childreÌ„ must moue vs to mercy The truth hereof hath the consent and agreement of many other Scriptures Hereunto cometh the exhortation of Moses Deut. 10.17 18 19. The Lord your God is God of Gods and the Lord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible who doth right vnto the fatherlesse and widow loueth the stranger giueth him food and raiment Loue ye therefore the stranger for yee were strangers in the Land of Egypt Thus the Apostle reasoneth 1 Ioh. 4 9 11. God hath manifested his loue in sending his onely begotten Sonne into this world that we might liue thorough him Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another Wher we see he perswadeth to brotherly loue in respect of the experience which we haue of the free loue of God toward our selues So our Sauiour concludes Lu. 6 36. Be ye therefore mercifull as your Father also is mercifull Hereunto cometh that which we reade in the Apostle Iohn in another place Hereby haue we perceiued loue that he laid downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren 1 Iohn 3 8 16. There is nothing more effectuall to perswade brethren to vnity among themselues theÌ„ to know they haue a gentle father that loueth them all Nothing is able to binde faster those that are fellow-seruants in one family to seeke the mutuall good one of another then to consider they haue a good master carefull of the good of them all to giue them their portion in due season Reason 1 The reasons are euident First we are bound to follow the example of God which must be our direction and instruction This the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2 5 where he exhorteth to humility and lowlinesse of minde from the example of Christ Let the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus And the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 11.32 hauing propounded the examples of the
brethreÌ„ that are Christians by profession Saints by calling heyres by faith sons by adoption partakers of the same grace with vs yea as we see the gifts of God more cleerly to shine and more manifestly to multiply in them so our loue must encrease toward them As they goe forward or backward encrease or decrease as we see them zealous or cold or luke-warme so must our inward loue proceed or stay grow or slake toward them alwaies where God sheweth forth the abundance of his loue shed into their hearts we must most wisely bestow our loue according to his example which the nearer we follow the more conformable we are to God wherein standeth our happinesse Vse 3 Lastly it reproueth such as are vnappeasable and will neuer forgiue and forget the iniuries that are done vnto them Assuredly such shall finde iudgement without mercy as shew no mercy Who is there among vs that doth not daily euen with the ayre draw in the mercy of God It is his mercy that we are not all consumed If then hauing our selues receiued so great mercy we can returne in way of thankfulnesse no compassion to others we make a law against our selues and as it were stop and shut vp the spring of grace from flowing vnto vs. â—er 2 13. This the Apostle Iames teacheth There shall be iudgment mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgement It standeth vs all therefore vpon not to rest in the bare and naked name of the sonnes of God but labour in the truth of the inner parts and in sincerity of our hearts to be like to him practising the exhortatioÌ„ of the Apostle 〈◊〉 12 13. As the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenes of minde meeknesse long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another c. There is no saluation without pardon and remission of sin Would we then haue saluation Do we desire forgiuenesse at the hand of God The meanes to assure vs that we haue attained it 〈◊〉 4 31 32. is to put away wrath all maliciousnesse and to be courteous tender-hearted one to another forgiuing one another if we desire to feele any true comfort to our own soules in the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes When we cried vnto the Lord he heard our voice The truth of the former reason 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 setteth downe the loue of God to his people hearing their prayers sending his Angel and bringing them out of Egypt The doctrine out of these words considered in themselues is this Doctrine God loueth his people God loueth and fauoureth his owne people Howsoeuer they be hated of the world because they are not of the world but are chosen out of the world yet he setteth theÌ„ as a seale on his hart Cant 8 6 5 2. and as a signet on his arme Heereunto come the amiable and louely titles that Christ giueth to his Church calling it knocking vnto it saying Open vnto me my Sister my Loue my Doue my vndefiled for my head is full of dew and my lockes with the drops of the night So the Prophet expresseth his loue in the Psalme toward his people Albeit they were few in number yea Psal 105 12 13 14 15. very few and strangers in the Land and walked about from Nation to Nation from one Kingdome to another people yet suffered he no man to do theÌ„ harm but reproued Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme So Moses testifieth the same Deu. 7 6 7 8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to bee a precious people vnto himselfe aboue all people that are vpon the earth The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor chuse you because ye were moe in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people but because the lord loued you and would keepe the oath which hee had sworne vnto your fathers Ioshua 24 3. Psalm 78 70. Mathew 4 18 Luke 23.43 Acts 9 15. Thus God in great mercy brought Abraham from his Country tooke Dauid from the sheepfolds chose Peter and Andrew from their nets called Mathew from the custome conuerted the theefe vpon the crosse and turned Paul from a persecutour to be an Apostle beeing oftentimes found of them that sought not after him by all which testimonies and examples it appeareth that God doth shew himselfe good and gracious vnto his people The reasons are First because they are his Reason 1 sonnes and daughters This is an argument of great loue a testimony that he will not forsake vs for euer We are not onely the seruants and friends of God but the sonnes of God the spouse of Christ Indeed Christ is the naturall Son of God and the eldest brother by whom we are adopted to be the sons of God This reason the Apostle propoundeth 1 Iohn 3 1. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen to vs that we should be called the sonnes of God for this cause the world knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Great is the affection of feruent loue that parents beare toward their children no heart of any can wel expresse it but he that hath bin a father himselfe to feele it Others may well speake of it but they are not able to comprehend it And yet all their loue is a cold frozen loue yea it is no loue indeed yea it is no better then hatred in comparison of the loue that the Father of heauen and earth beareth to his children whose loue to vs is wonderfull passing the loue of men and women This the Prophet teacheth Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will not I forget thee Es 49 15. Likewise Christ saith Mat. 7 9 10. What man is there among you which if his son aske him bread would giue him a stone Or if he aske fish will he giue him a serpent If ye then which are euill can giue to your children good gifts how much more shal your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him Reason 2 Againe he hath sent his Sonne into the world who came from the bosome of his Father and tooke our nature vpon him he endured the infirmities of our nature the shame of the crosse the wrath of his Father to bring vs into his fauour He was punished we are pardoned he was charged with our sinnes we are discharged from our sinnes he was crucified we are acquitted he was condemned we are iustified Thus the Apostle Iohn reasoneth Heerein was the loue of God made manifest among vs 1 Ioh. 4 9 10. because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into this world that we might liue through him Heerein is that loue not that we loued God but that hee loued vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sins The naturall
Name If he deliuer his will to his enemies he will shew himselfe to his friends If he vouchsafe to instruct such as be strangers doubtlesse he will open himselfe and reueale his secrets to those that be Citizens of his kingdome If the seruant bee taught by him who doth not know what his master doth he will not passe ouer his owne sonnes who shall be heyres of his inheritance that he hath prepared for them that desire the knowledge of his wayes For he will fulfill the desires of them that feare him hee also will heare their cry and will saue them Psalm 145 19. Thus did Dauid assure his sonne Salomon standing by him when he was going the way of all flesh If thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer 1 Chron. 28 2. 2 Chron. 15 2 3. So when the noble Eunuch repayred to Ierusalem and gaue himselfe to reade the Scriptures that his knowledge might be encreased the word of God dwell plentifully in him the Lord sent Philip vnto him Acts 8.35 who ioyned himselfe to his Chariot and expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectly Likewise when Cornelius the captaine Acts â— a deuout maÌ„ and one that feared God had prayed to God for further knowledge that God who had begun his good worke in him would bring him to perfection he is directed to send for Peter who should tell him what he ought to do verifying the saying of Christ Math 13 12 and 25 29. Vnto euery man that hath it shall be giueÌ„ and he shall haue abundance but whosoeuer hath not from him shall bee taken away euen that hee hath Would we then know why we are ignorant in the wayes of God weake in faith bare and barren in the gifts of God We do not beleeue the promises of God offering himselfe to those that seeke him and opening to those that knocke at his gate neyther hunger and thirst after his graces nor know the want of them in our selues or others Fourthly let vs follow the example of God Vse and do good to those that are euill He maketh the Sunne to rise vpon the euill and the good hee sendeth raine on the iust and vniust so should wee do good to all although especially to the houshold of faith Math. 5 45. Gal. 6 10. Let not theyr vnworthinesse hinder our goodnesse but labour that our light may so shine before them that we may gaine them to the faith heape coales of fire vpon their head Let vs admonish and exhort them with all patience and long-suffering that they may come out of the snare of the diuell of whom they are holden Let vs preach the Gospel in season and out of season and 1 Cor. 9.22 take all occasions to win those that are without that by all meanes we may saue some What though they be not turned and conuerted to God by the preaching of the Gospel we seeme to bestow our labor in vaine Many are enlightened of God that are not saued they attaine to knowledge that neuer grow to faith We are the sweet sauor of God as well in them that perish as in them that are saued to the one we are the sauour of life to life and to the other the sauour of death to death 2. Cor. 2 15 16. And this must serue and suffice to comfort vs and strengthen vs to beare out the heate of the day the weight of the burden that lyeth vpon our shoulders to consider that howsoeuer our persons be entertained our doctrine receiued Esay 4â— and our strength bee wasted and consumed in vaine yet our iudgement is with the Lord and our worke with our God who will reward vs according to our labour Lastly Vsâ— seeing GOD maketh knowne his will and word to wicked and prophane men who are sundry wayes enlightened with many gifts of the Spirit let vs not rest in seeking after common gifts but labor to be partakers of such as are proper to the elect and doe alwayes accompany saluation and eternall life This is it that the Apostle exhorteth vnto 1. Cor. 14 where mentioning diuers gifts of the Spirit as the gift of knowledge the working of myracles the word of wisedome the power of healing the discerning of spirits the diuersity of toongs the interpretation of tongues all whâ—ch are common to al sorts of men both good bad he addeth as the vse that now we teach perswade But desire you the best gifts and I will shew you a more excellent way 1 Cor. 14 30 31. Let vs not therefore content our selues with such knowledge and illumination as the reprobate and vngodly haue but let vs couet such as are peculiar and proper to the elect that we may be the Temples of the holy Ghost that the Spirit of God may dwell in vs not for a time but for euer and dispose our hearts as the owner of the house and gouerne it wholly after his owne will Let vs labour to feele a certaine knowledge of our reconcilation to God in Christ 〈◊〉 3. 〈…〉 5. 〈◊〉 25. 〈◊〉 6. the gifts of regeneration a dying vnto sin arising vp to newnesse of life the grace of hearty praier comfort in distresse and such like which the elect of God finde in some measure wroght in them These are infallible notes of election these are the best gifts that the Apostle vrgeth these are such fruites of the Spirit as wee must delight in and follow after If these be in vs do abound we shall haue that peace of conscience through them that passeth all vnderstanding if these bee not in vs whatsoeuer knowledge we haue beside though we haue tasted of the heauenly gift beene enlightened by the Spirit beene partakers of the holy Ghost tasted of the good word of God and receiued the Gospel with ioy wee shall finde no more sound comfort in them then Balaam did in this place by the reuelation which he had receiued from God 15 Balak yet sent againe moe Princes and more honorable then they 16 Who came to Balaam and said vnto him Thus saith Balak the sonne of Zippor Be not thou staide I pray thee from comming to mee 17 For I will promote thee vnto great honour and will do whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me Come therfore I pray thee curse for me this people 18 And Balaam answered and saide vnto the seruants of Balak If Balak would giue mee his house full of siluer and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God to do lesse or more 19 And now I pray you tarry ye heere also this night that I may wit what the Lord will say vnto me more 20 And God came vnto Balaam by night and saide vnto him Forasmuch as men are come to call thee rise vp and goe with them but onely what thing I say vnto thee that shalt thou do 21 So Balaam rose vp early
themselues to base courses to follow Faires and Markets pitching vp their standings and selling pins and poynts like Pedlers and pettie Chapmen would not all men thinke it a great reproach and hâ—gh disgrace to their estate being royally descended and borne to a Kingdome Wee are the sonnes and daughters of almighty God the King of kings and Lord of lords and it is his pleasure to appoint vs heyres vnto a Kingdom Luke 12 32. We are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood Reu. 1 6. an holy nation 1 Pet. 2 9. a people set at liberty that we should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into this maruellous light Shall we then being Kings children and borne to inherit a kingdome not of this world but of the worlde to come so much debase our selues as alwayes to looke downward and go poring and stooping to the earth like bruite beastes and not cast our eyes vpward like men made after the likenesse and similitude of God Let vs seeke those things which are aboue Col. 3 ver 1 2. wher Christ sitteth at the right hand of God let vs set our affections on things which are altogether aboue and not on things which are heere beneath vpon the earth It is vnfit for our calling and holy profession euermore to haue our hand on our halfe-peny making gaine to be godlinesse and our belly our god wholly minding earthly transitory things Let our conuersation be in heauen Phil. 3 20 and from thence looke for a Sauiour to chaÌ„ge our fraile and mortall bodies and to make them like to his glorious body wee are free denizens of that City made without hands whose builder and maker is God therefore let vs not spend all our dayes in vanity and waste our yeeres in folly Math. 6 25 33. nor be excessiuely carefull what to eate or what to put on but haue our conuersation without couetousnesse and first of all seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnes Verse 20. Forasmuch as men are come to call thee rise vp and go with them These words containe an ironicall concession not a plaine approbation a figuratiue tanting not a simple allowing of his iourny or a giuing of him liberty to depart As if the Lord should haue sayd If being warned of mee thou wilt take no warning but art resolued what to do and standest firme in thine heart to be gone goe too proceed in thy purpose and walke in the waies of thine heart but know that thou makest hast to thine owne confusion and that all thine endeuors shall turne to thy destruction Thus we see God reproueth him by a tant because hee rested not in the will of God before deliuered vnto him and vttered in a plain maner Thus when as men receiue not the loue of the truth that they may be saued God sendeth them strong delusions that they might be seduced and deceiued Heereby we learne That all reprouing of sinne and of sinners by way of tanting 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ing 〈◊〉 arâ—â— in 〈◊〉 vnâ—â— is not vnlawful and vnbeseeming the profession of godlinesse All iestâ—ng and mocking are not forbidden to bee vsed practised of the godly This we see by the example of the Lord himselfe Iudg. 10 14. Goe and cry vnto the gods which yee haue chosen let them saue you in the time of your tribulation Thus Moses speaketh to the people Deut. 32 37 38. Where are their gods their mighty gods in whom they trusted Let them rise vp and help you let them be your refuge The like we see in Iob vexed vniustly and censured rashly by his friends when he sayth Iob 12 12. Indeede because that yee are the people onely wisedome must dye with you So the Prophet Esay speaketh to the enemies of the Church Esay 8 9. Gather together on heapes O ye people and ye shal be broken in pieces gâ—rd your selues take counsell together pronounce a decree yet it shal not stand Thus the Prophet dealeth with Amaziah 2 Chron. 25 7 8. Let not the army of Israel goe with thee for the Lord is not with Israel if not go thou out make thy selfe strong to the battell but God shall make thee fall downe before the enemy for GOD hath power to helpe and to cast downe And if we would farther see the warrant of this practise in reprouing we haue examples of it in Christ our Sauiour when he sayd to Iudas That thou doest do quickly Iohn 13 27. And when hee spake to his disciples Matth. 26 45. Sleepe henceforth take your rest behold the houre is at hand and the son of man is giuen into the hands of sinners Al which examples in the olde and new Testament of God of the Prophets of Christ and other holy men serue to teach vs that all reproouing of sinne by sharpe tants is not vnlawfull and vnwarrantable The Reasons iustifying this practise are Reason 1 First to make Idolaters and wicked men to see their sinnes and the greatnesse of them to moue them to repentance and to come out of them to bring them to bee ashamed of theyr offences and so to mooue them to turne vnto God This the Prophet Esay vrgeth chap. 46 6 7. They draw gold out of the bag and weigh siluer in the ballance and hire a Goldsmith to make a god of it and they bow downe and worship it they beare it vpon their shoulders they carry set him in his place so doth he stand and cannot remooue from his place though one cry vnto him yet he cannot answer nor deliuer him out of his tribulation Remember this and be ashamed bring it again to minde O you transgressors This then is one reason why the holy Ghost reproueth and reprocheth in a deriding maner to bring offenders to true wisedom and to open their eies which are blinded that they see nothing Secondly an holy deriding may bee vsed Reason 2 to disgrace and discountenance sin and to set it out in his colours For when it is magnified among the sonnes of men followed with all greedinesse the seruants of God must vncouer and vncase it and lay it open that others may eschew it Thus we see the prophet Eliah dealeth with the Priests of Baal he scoffeth at their simplicity he derideth their folly and in an holy manner triumpheth ouer their vanity when he saith 1 Kings 18 28. Crie a loud for he is a god either he talketh or pursueth his enemies or is in his iourney or it may bee that he sleepeth and must be awaked Where he doth not stirre them vp to their Idolatry and idolatrous worship of Baal nor allow their superstitious prayers but mocketh at their madnesse to disgrace their wickednesse and to reproach their falling from the true God The Vses are to bee considered in the next Vse 1 place First this teacheth that the Minister of the word may in their teaching vse this figure when they deale with an obstinate people and reproue
5 verses 28.29 They haue well saide all that they haue spoken they were ready to heare all and do all that Moses should speake vnto them But if we fall to stint the Spirit and teach the Lord to speake prescribing the Minister what he shall say and restraining our hearing what we will heare wee shall neuer heare fruitefully we shall neuer practise conscionably what we haue heard Thus much concerning the protestation of Balaam Verse 27. Balak saide vnto Balaam Come I pray thee I will bring thee vnto another place if so be it will please that God c. Heere is offered to our considerations the profession of Balaam Hee pretendeth Religion and the helpe of God and professeth to do all things in the Name of the true God yet was voyd of all Religion and sincere dealing and doth all things by the working of the diuell abusing the glorious and fearefull Name of God to malicious mischieuous purposes Doctrinâ— Many prâ—fesse God that seruâ— the diueâ—â— Hereby we learne that many in the world professe piety and godlinesse in the tongue that haue none in the heart They professe GOD outwardly but serue the diuell inwardly This appeareth in the Iewes who albeit they would not heare the preaching of the Prophets rebuking them in the Name of the Lord yet had oftentimes in their mouthes The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord Ier. 7 4. Thus the Prophet Esay reproueth them in his time This people come neere vnto me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but haue remoued their heart farre from me and their feare toward mee was taught by the precept of men Esay chap. 29 13. So many that were professors and teachers of the truth as Christ testifieth yea workers of myracles and crying vnto him Lord Lord yet shal not be acknowledged of him as belonging to him The Samaritans called and accounted themselues the true worshippers Iohn 4 2 and pretended the tradition of their fathers and hated the Iewes as false worshippers yet themselues worshipped they knew not what All heretiques will boast they teach Gods truth all hypocrites will say they embrace the faith all carnall and loose professors will challenge sincerity all Papists will cry out they are the Church the successors of the Apostles and the true Catholiques yet are no true Church but in shew no true Catholiques but in name no true successors of the Apostles but in place In the dayes of Christ the Iewes gloried that they were the seede of Abraham Iohn 8 44 the sonnes of the Couenant the heyres of promise they pleaded they were the first borne of God yet he proueth to their faces that they were the very limbes of the diuell And the Church of Smyrna had such among theÌ„ as vaunted they were Iewes Reuel 2 9. that is the people of GOD but were in truth the Synagogue of Sathan All which examples conclude the certainty of the former doctrine and verifie the saying of Salomon Prou. 30. There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet are not washed from their filthinesse The truth heereof will farther and more Reason 1 fully appeare vnto vs if we enter into the consideration of the causes and reasons of it The first is pride selfe-loue which so ouercome their hearts and blinde their eyes that they cannot see their owne wickednesse and wretchednesse which are so hud-winked with palpable ignorance of God as that they cannot iudge of themselues and their owne misery as they should We see the coniunction of these in the King of Moab and his Chaplaine the false Prophet that albeit they pretend the holy Name of God yet through loue of themselues on the one side and ignorance of God on the other they cannot see that their whole proceeding is an vtter renouncing of God This reason the Prophet Dauid pointeth vnto when he saith The wicked hath made boast of his owne hearts desire and the couetous blesseth himselfe though hee contemneth the Lord for the wicked is so proud that he seeketh not for God hee is in prosperity God spareth him in mercy and hee imagineth presently that he is iust and holy pleasing God Psal 10 3 4. Reason 2 Secondly the heart of man is many times deceitfull He can speake with his tongue that which he meaneth not in his heart nor hath any sence or feeling of in his owne soule but beguileth with lying lips and a double toong Many are vnder their profession hypocrites and haue hypocriticall hollow hearts speaking that which they did not minde For the nature of an hypocrite is to appeare outwardly like a painted Toombe 〈◊〉 8. as if there were nothing in him but singlenesse and simplicity of heart and vntill his corruption breake out as filthy matter out of a sore which assuredly it will do at some time or other seeing there is nothing couered that shall not bee reuealed Luke 12 2. there is none more conformable then he in the outward exercises of the Word Prayer and the Sacraments They draw neere with their lips they listen with their eares they stretch foorth their hands thus they prepare and make ready their mouthes to pray their eares to heare their hands to receiue This appeareth in the proud Pharisie Luke chapter 18 verses 11 12. He came into the Temple to pray he thanked God for his blessings hee fasted twice in the weeke hee gaue tythe of all that he possessed yet he worshipped God in vaine and departed to his house without profit or comfort Now let vs handle the vses of this doctrine Vse 1 First wee learne heereby for our instruction that outward profession is not enough to assure vs of our saluation or to fit vs to Gods kingdome for the diuell might go as farre as the best of those that rest in the shew of godlinesse who can turne and transforme himselfe into an Angel of light 2 Corinth 11 verse 14. A wolfe may put on a sheepes skinne yea the Parrot and Ape can imitate and therefore trust not to thy faire shewes and externall appearance if thou proceed no further It is not sufficient for thee to be baptized to bee made partaker of the word of God of the Table of the Lord and such priuiledges of the Church this is to trust in lying words that shall not profite Ier. chap. 7 verse 4. The case and condition of many professors is no better then of the heathen Infidels as of the Turkes and Sarazins I meane of such as content themselues with the bare name or profession of Christianity and therein satisfie themselues nay it is a great deale worse as our Sauiour teacheth Math. chapter 11 verses 21 22 23. that Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum shall be punished more seuerely then Tyre and Sidon then Sodome and Gomorrha What comfort in the things of this life can any man take to beare the name of land and another to
the other side we are to shun the euill company of euil men lest we learne their wayes True it is if we would abstaine altogether from the acquaintance and familiarity of fornicators Idolaters extortioners railers drunkards and such like We must go out of the world 1 Cor. 6 10. But albeit we cannot wholly auoide them yet wee must not thrust our selues into them nor delight in them but bee greeued at them so soone as we can winde our selues out of thē We shall learne no good by their society Therefore Salomon saith Hee that walketh with the wise shall be the wiser but a companion of fooles shall learne foolishnes Prou. 13.20 Now albeit we cannot at all times forsake the familiarity of the vnfaithfull yet wee must euer abandon and abiure their vnfaithfulnes and vngodlines we cannot euer refuse their company but wee must euermore renounce their impiety Let vs take heed we embrace none of their sinnes He that standeth farthest from a raging flame is frees◠and farthest off from burning hee that walketh a great distance from the banke of the Riuer is safest from drowning He that commeth not neere places of infection is surest to escape the danger And as wee are to beware of all their sinnes so especially it behoueth vs to be suspicious and fearefull of those sinnes vnto which wee know our selues most prone enclined For they do most of all delight vs and those are they which will soonest ouerturne vs and bring vpon vs destruction of soule and body Secondly it serueth to reproue condemne Vse 2 all such as are companions with prophane men The shrowding of our selues into such company argueth a conformity in affections howsoeuer wee would haue it thought to be otherwise We see in the course of nature that like will to like and birds of a feather will flie and flocke together And if they be not yet made like vnto them and corrupted by them it is greatly to be feared they will be allured and enticed Iehoshaphat was reproued for his friendship and aliance with Ahab and in the end it was the ruine of his owne house The Prophet came vnto him and said Wouldst thou helpe the wicked loue them that hate the Lord Therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is vpon thee 2 Chron. 19 2. Happy is their estate whose abode is continually amongst Gods people as the Prophet saith Psal 65 3. Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to come to thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and he shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine house euen of thine holy Temple On the other side wee must confesse it to bee a wofull and heauy condition to endure the company of the wicked It is a part of our greefe and sorrow to be in their society being alwayes ioyned with sinne and to the dishonour of God This made the Prophet cry out with great perplexity while hee liued amongst the vngodly and to acknowledge his case to be pittifull and miserable Wo is me that I remaine in Mesech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120 5. There is nothing that more discouereth what lyeth in the hart then the company with whom we ordinarily resort and the places to which we commonly resort The heart of man is deceitfull and the secret corners of it are past finding out but the company which we vse shall try what is in it If the heart be set vpon goodnesse we will not delight in those that are enclined to leudnesse The Prophet Dauid testifieth heereby the vprightnesse of his heart that all his delight was in the Saints Psal 16 3 And Psalm 119 63. I am a companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts And Psal 26. I haue not haunted with vaine persons neither kept company with the dissemblers I haue hated the assembly of the euill and haue not accompanied with the wicked Such therfore as make themselues merry with lewd company and can laugh most heartily at their sinnes declare that they haue corrupt and sinfull hearts and haue not yet giuen them vnto God Thirdly wee must learne in regard of the Vse 3 danger of euill company to cast out euery foule spirit out of our societies Wee haue heard much of some places that haue beene haunted with euill spirits and indeed it is most true for there are few places or Parishes that are not frequented and pestered with many euill spirits There is no house or family almost to be found that doth not hold boulstersome euill spirit In the family of Adam was Caine in the family of Noah was Ham in the family of Abraham was Ishmael in the family of Isaac was Esau in the family of Dauid was Absolon and these were foule spirits The children of God that labour to direct their wayes aright and to haue their families purged from grosse corruptions as Iacob cleansed his house from Idolatry cannot so sanctifie and reforme them 〈◊〉 35 2. but some vncleane spirit or other will winde in himselfe infecting infesting the family with his presence and corrupting the rest by his example and poysoning them by his euill suggestions Achan must be found out vnlesse we would haue the whole hoast of God to be discomfited Iosh 7 11. Ionah must be cast out into the sea vnlesse we would haue the Ship drowned Ion. 1 12. It was an expresse commandement of God giuen vnto Abraham Gen. 21 10. To cast out the bond-woman her sonne because he should not be heire of the inheritance with Isaac It was an expresse charge giuen to the Church by the Apostle 1 Cor. 5 13. To purge away from among themselues that wicked man and to deliuer him vnto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus To these commandements and precepts ioyne the practise of the Prophet Dauid where he promiseth to God how hee will order his family I will do wisely in the perfect way till thou commest to me I will walke in the vprightnesse of my heart in the midst of mine house there shall no deceitfull person dwell within mine house he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the City of the Lord Psal 101 2 7. We see heereby whom we should entertaine in our houses and suffer to dwell vnder our roofe to wit the godly for he saith Mine eyes shall be vpon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue me and therefore we must keep none such as are sturdy and stubborne that are incorrigible and scorne to serue the Lord. Many there are that make a mocke of all religion and despise all meanes that can bee taken for amendment these are a burden to the family and must bee cast out We see in the
the kingdome nor he in accepting of it inasmuch as they did it not out of any obedience to the will of God but they did it to ease themselues from the cruelty and tyranny that Rehoboam was likely to vse toward them and therefore they sinned because they had no commandement from God Let vs come to the vses First this confuteth Vse 1 the doctrine of the Anabaptists or Libertines that deny all authority as not fitting for Christians to beare They teach their owne dreames that neyther Christians should bee Magistrates nor yet subiect to Magistrates an horrible impiety in them and it would not be worth the time to shew how they wrest the Scripture to defend their owne errour which otherwise they nothing regard Secondly it serueth to taxe Popery and Vse 2 that out of their owne grounds for the Rhemists haue a rule vpon Iude verse 6 that they are heretiques that deny authority and they would father it and fasten it vpon vs because we deny subiection to the Pope But we retort it vpon themselues For neuer was there any that did cast off the yoke of authority so much as they haue done They haue put downe the mighty from their seates and trod vpon the neckes of Princes they haue dethroned Kings and armed the sonne against the father Vnder a colour of the holy warre they haue sent them abroad and betrayed them into the hands of the Sarazens and in their absence seized vpon their Dominions There was neuer heretique did so shrinke vp the sinewes and shake off the yoke of authority as they haue done It is a rule that they haue that Ecclesiasticall men ought to be free from all ciuill authority whatsoeuer and that Cleargy men must be exempted from subiection to the secular powers so that they not we are the heretiques that despise authority As for the Bishop of Rome wee owe him no seruice neyther may he claime iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall Church eyther by Scriptures Fathers Councels or imperiall Constitutions for many ages Vse 3 Lastly this serueth as an information to vs that wee auoyde all such proud and peeuish conceits as these to imagine there shold be no authority and bee prouoked to bee thankfull vnto almighty GOD that we do enioy authority seeing by it wee are freed from confusion and desolation from much mutiny and misery that otherwise would befall vs. For notwithstanding by the great goodnesse of God we haue authority such is the fury and fiercenesse of wicked men that they breake out into strange enormities and commit many feareful things by poysonings by stabbings by cousenages by oppressions by forgery and falsehood and such like mischeeuous and monstrous practises what then would they presume to do if there were no authority to bring them and their doings into question and to call them to an account for their audacious courses A man should alwayes haue his life in his hand there could be no peace or safety in our houses and habitations if there were no authority to rule to controlle to terrifie to punish and therefore how thankfull ought we to bee to almighty God for that authority which he hath set ouer vs and for the peaceable gouernment we enioy vnder our gracious Soueraigne Now this must withall be acknowledged of vs that no man can be truely thankfull for authority that is not willingly and cheerefully subiect to authority It is a friuolous and vaine thing to pretend thankfulnesse and yet not vndergoe the yoke of obedience with cheerefulnesse Verse 11. Notwithstanding the Children of Korah died not What became of Korah himselfe we haue seene before His name was famous in the Congregation but he became infamous through his rebellion and it is called the gainesaying of Korah to this day Iude verse 11. Notwithstanding marke heere that the sonnes of Korah perished not when their father perished and was punished who spake euill of them that were in authorty for it appeareth that they were preserued aliue and became afterward famous in the Church of God and honourable mention is made of them in the booke of Psalmes and of the Chronicles 1. Chronicles chapter 6 verse 22. Psalm 42 and Psalme 44 and Psalme 45 and sundry others afterward as 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verse 19. From hence ariseth this Doctrine Doctrine It is no disgrace for godlie children to descend of vngodly parents that it is no disgrace for godly children to descend and come of vngodly parents Howsoeuer sinne be a reproch to the parents themselues yet it taketh not hold of their issue except they walke in those sinnes Ezek. 18 14. If hee beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and considereth doth not the like c. he shall surely liue Iephte is commended for a faithfull man that fought the battels of the Lord subdued the enemies of his people yet he was the sonne of an harlot Iudg. 11 1. Heb. chap. 11 verse 32. This farther appeareth in Saul and Ionathan the one of them the greatest enemy the other the greatest friend of Dauid the one sware his death the other his life the father to kill him the sonne to saue him and therefore it was no dishonor to him to haue such a father The like we might say of Ahaz a most wicked man and Hezekiah a most godly King one of the best sonnes of one of the worst fathers yet who accounteth the worse of good Hezekiah because he had wicked Ahaz to his father Ieroboam king of Israel set vp idolatry and caused Israel to sinne and therefore the Lord threateneth to bring euill vppon his house that the dogges should eate him that dyed in the City and the fowles of the ayre him that dyed in the field 1 Kings chapter 14 verse 10 so that they should all be swept away as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone yet God gaue him one good sonne whom in mercy he tooke to himselfe and saued as a brand out of the fire or as a Sheepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lyon two legges or a peece of an eare Amos chapter 3 verse 12 and therefore it is said All Israel shall mourne for him for hee onely of Ieroboam shall come to the graue because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel The grounds of this truth follow First Reason 1 that election might stand wholly by grace forasmuch as almighty God sheweth mercy where and to whom hee will If religion should descend from father to son in a common and ordinary course of generation or propagation without any interruption it might be thought to bee a worke of nature not of grace and to proceede from parents not from almighty GOD. Therefore bee often breaketh off that course so that wicked parents haue sometimes good and godly children and contrariwise godly parents haue wicked and vile children that the purpose of GOD according to election might stand not of works
yet shall their sinnes dye with theyr persons and be remembred no more whensoeuer the sonne forsaketh those their wicked wayes No man therefore must cast them in the teeth or vpbraid any beleeuer with the sinnes of his vnbeleeuing parents If a man come of Turkish or Heathenish parents that neuer beleeued in Christ nor acknowledged the true God yet God will accept of those that forsake this infidelity and impiety who therfore are we that we should vpbraid them with the blots and infirmities of their fathers For as the godlynesse of the father shall nothing helpe the vngodly childe but the soule that sinneth shall die the death Ezek 18 20 so the vngodlinesse of the father shall nothing hurt the godly because he renounceth it and hateth it as an enemy The practise therefore of those is euill that lade and burthen with cart-loads of reproaches those that are not to be touched in their owne persons because of the vices and sins of their parents Vse 4 Lastly we must learne that it shall on the other side be no honor credite comfort or commendation to descend from godly and worthy Ancestors if we degenerate from theÌ„ as a base and bastard brood Ezek. 18 10 13. It is the manner of many to stand much vpon their pedigree which the very heathen derided as great vanity and accounted nothing indeede their own which themselues had not done for what hath a coward to do to glory in the valour of his Fathers And they made choise rather to descend of vnnoble Parents Ouid. metam lib. 13. so themselues were noble and renowned thorough vertue then to come of worthy Progenitors Iâ—uenal Saty. 8 and themselues to grow base degenerate out of kinde This did the Prophet tell Iehoiachim Ier. 22 15 16. Did not thy father eate and drinke and do iustice iudgement and then it was well with him he iudged the cause of the poore c but thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy couetousnes and to shedde innocent blood and for oppression and violence to doe it Hence it is that Iohn the Baptist telleth the Iewes that they should not boast of theyr progenitors to say They had Abraham to their Father Mat. 3 8 9. They gloried much in this carnall priuiledge and thought the whol seed of Abraham by generation of the flesh to bee within the couenant of grace and should bee partakers of saluation and in a proud conceit of this external glory grew to contemne the Gentiles as a people forsaken of God But there is an Israelite in the couenant and an Israelite out of the couenant as there is a Iew that is outward and a Iew that is inward Rom. 2 29. 4 16 as there is an election that is generall and an election more speciall taken out of that generall There are sonnes of Abraham according to the flesh Rom. 4 16. and there are heyres of the faith of Abraham as the Lord himselfe saieth Mal. 1 2. Is not Esau Iacobs brothâ—â— Yet I haue hated Esau and loued Iacob Wherefore when the Pharisies said Wee haue Abraham to our father Christ answered If ye were the children of Abraham ye would do the works of Abraham but now ye are of your father the diuel Iohn 8 39 44. Let no man therefore reioyce in the flesh neither stand vpon the gifts giuen vnto others as it were to decke himselfe with the feathers of other birds Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles sheweth that hee might haue confidence in the flesh and if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh he had cause much more hee was circumcised the eight day he was of the stock of Israel and of the Tribe of Beniamin he was an Hebrew of the Hebrewes and as touching the law a Pharisie Yet what things soeuer might be gaine vnto him the same hee counted losse for Christs sake yea as dung that he might winne him Phil. 3 7 8. Let euery one therefore labour to haue grace in his owne heart knowing That the iust shall liue by his owne faith Hab. 2 4. forasmuch as the faith of the father cannot profit the child that is without faith 12 The sonnes of Simeon after their families of Nemuel the family of the Nemuelites c. 13 Of Zerah the family of the Zarhites c. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites twenty and two thousand and two hundred In the description of this Tribe we are to consider the small number and little company in comparison of the other Tribes and of themselues also compared with the former summe For whereas before they were 59300 they are now onely as wee see 22200. If any aske what may bee the cause of this great abatement Obiection that there were so many before now fallen to be so few Answ The reason is to bee taken out of the last history remembred in the former chapter to wit that one of the Princes of the Tribe of Simeon being accompanied with many others of that Tribe and backed and countenanced with them committed a most shamefull and shamelesse acte before his brethren and brought a Midianitish harlot into the hoast in the sight of Moses yea he was no doubt a moouer and perswader of others to commit the like wickednesse whereby it came to passe that the greatest number of this Tribe perished with him in that greeuous plague For it was reason that as they did partake with him in the Whoredome so they should communicate together in the punishment Hereupon it fell out that whereas all the other Tribes in a manner surmounted the former account or at least equalled the same this fayled much of the former summe This is to be noted of vs in this place seruing as a good commentary and exposition of the words of Moses Deut. 32 6. where Simeon is wholly left out Doctrine It is hard to forsake society with wicked men wheÌ„ we are once entred into it This teacheth vs that it is a very hard thing to auoyd shun and breake off our society with wicked men when once we are entred into it but we follow and pursue it with greedinesse till we be punished together with them It is hard to bee kept from contracting friendship and fellowship with them they are cunning to insinuate theÌ„selues and if they be not called to vs they will call themselues and if they be not bidden they are as shamelesse guesse they wil inuite them selues If at any time they be thrust out of our company they will seeke to enter againe and if the doore be barred against them they wil winde in themselues like the Theefe at the window rather then they will stand without that is they will take all occasions to force themselues vpon vs. And if we finde it hard not to contract it we shall finde it much harder to breake it off being once contracted doubtlesse neuer harder then in these dayes of sinne wherein
Adam which also is our sin Now there are four things that doe continually and distinctly cleaue to sinne Foure things cleaue to sin the fault the guilt the blot and the punishment The fault is the offence committed against God in the action which is the root of all the rest The guilt is an obligation to punishment for the fault and offence which we haue committed The blot or spot thereof is as it were a marke or print set and branded in the soule of him that sinned when he groweth to an hight in wickednes like the marke that was set vpon Cain when he had killed his brother For the multiplying of offensiue actions is the continuall encrease of the blot or blemish of the soule til in the end the light of nature be vtterly extinguished and men come to a reprobate sense and grow to be past feeling through the blindnesse of their mindes and the hardnesse of their hearts Euen as the dropsie man the more he drinketh the more hee dryeth so the more a man sinneth the more he is giuen to sinne As the couetous person alwayes desireth to get more so the sinner alwayes desireth to sinne more and to worke al vncleannes with greedines The punishment it selfe is the wages and iust recompence of all the former which is the first second death The first death is a separation of the soule and body the second a separation of the whole man from God for as the soule is the life of the body so is God the life of the soule Know therefore and acknowledge from hence that it is an irkesome and bitter thing to prouoke him by our sin which driueth away his comfortable presence from vs. Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth that none can escape death by streÌ„gth or policy by friends or fraud or by any occasion in asmuch as all are sinners euen from their mothers wombe vnto the day of their death Psal 58 3. 51 5. Gen. 8 21. Iob 4 17. 15 14. 25 4. It is a fearefull and cruell tyrant an outragious and wasting enemy that maketh spoyle and hauocke wheresoeuer hee commeth sparing neyther young nor old rich nor poore Prince nor people good nor bad Psal 89 48. It standeth vs therefore in hand to account of euery day as our last day and to know that euery moment may cut off the threed of our life so that wee are suddenly gone are no more we must prepare for it continually our whole life should be a meditation of it Againe we must pull out of our hearts this false conceit and imagination whereby euery man naturally blesseth and notably deceiueth himselfe and thinketh though he haue one foot in a maner in the graue yet hee shall not die this yeere but he may liue one yeare longer as the rich man was in a pleasant dreame did forecast for many yeares Luke 12 19. And yet alas we know not what shal be to morrow Iam. 4 14 no nor what one day may bring forth Pr. 27 1 Vse 3 Lastly let euery one labor to take away the power and strength of his own death And to this end we must deale with it as the Philistims dealt with Sampson they neuer gaue ouer till they had learned where his strength lay Iudg. 16 5 6 and then they quickly weakned him and preuailed ouer him who before had preuailed ouer them So ought we to doe we must know wherin the strength of death consisteth that is in sin onely Take this away by repentance from dead works faith in Christ and you shaue off the seuen locks of it that is you shall weaken it that it shall neuer bee able to hurt you So many sinnes as liue and reigne in vs so many stings hath death which serue to wound our soules to eternall death If then we would die the death of the righteous let vs endeauour to the vtmost of our strength to liue the life of the righteous Then we shal lay a good foundation that shall neuer be shaken and build our house vpon the rocke wee shal begin our eternal life in this mortall life and haue our conuersation in heauen while we walke vpon the earth Phil. 3 20. Let vs beware of putting off the time from day to day whatsoeuer we would do at the last gaspe grone when we are dying let vs doe the same euery day while wee are liuing The most wicked when he seeth he is presently to leaue the world will seeme desirous to pray though he neuer prayed in his health and to require others to pray for him and haply those whom before he contemned and derided their prayers also then likewise hee will promise and protest amendment of life make solemne vowes couenants with God Let vs therefore do this daily which these men doe at their last day that when death commeth wee may be found ready and prepared with oyle in our lampes like the wise virgins Math. 25. To conclude he that would liue when he is dead must dye when he is aliue and there is no way for vs to come to life but first to enter by the gate of death 6 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 7 The daughters of Zelophehad speake right thou shalt surely giue them a possession of an inheritance among their fathers brethren c. 8 And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying If a man die and haue no sonne c. 9 And if hee haue no daughter then yee shall giue his inheritance vnto his brethren 10 And if he haue no brethren then ye shall giue his inheritance vnto his fathers brethren 11 And if his father haue no brethren ye shall giue his inheritance vnto his kinsman c. The deciding of the former question being referred by Moses vnto GOD followeth in these words wherein he returneth his answer consisting of two parts the one special the othe general the one respecting the time present the other the time to come The speciall belongeth to the cause of these fiue sisters God approueth theyr suite requireth that an inheritance should be giuen to them all so much as theyr father should haue inherited if he had liued longer The accomplishment of this designement is afterward related Iosh 17 3 4 c. where hee performeth this Commandement of the Lord. The generall ariseth vpon the former particular case and this belongeth to all the children of Israel wherein God determineth in what order they shall inherite Now these are the degrees First the neerest heyres are the heyres males The law for iâ—heritances a mans owne sonnes Secondly if hee haue no heyres males his daughters shall be his heyres Thirdly for default of such yssue the inheritance shall go to his owne brethren for after his children his brother is next in nature and blood vnto him therefore if his owne children faile his brother must be his heyre Fourthly if he haue no brother then his fathers
brethren his vnkles Lastly if his father haue no brethren the inheritance must descend to the next kinsman whatsoeuer he be of his tribe and family Here a question may bee asked whether this law binde in conscience all Nations and persons for euer Quest And many things may be saide of it and for it as most equall and the voyce of nature it selfe Neuerthelesse all things considered Answ I rather take this law to be among the Iudicials that do not necessarily tye all places persons to the performance of them Hence it is that it is saide afterward verse 11 that it is a statute of iudgement and to whom not to all Nations but to the children of Israel so that though some of their iudiciall and politicall lawes do binde yet all do not as we see in Exodus where they are handled in the 21 22 23 chapters Secondly this law appointeth that the inheritance must of necessity passe from one to another from the father vnto the childe c. without any interruption if then this order must hold as a perpetuall ordinance for euer it should be vtterly vnlawfull to sell a mans inheritance for any cause or vpon any occasion or to buy a mans inheritance because the Iewes were as well tyed to that and if they did it must returne to the owner again at the yeare of Iubile as wee reade in many places of the Law of Moses Leuit. 25 23 24 Numb 36 8 and it appeareth farther in the practise of Naboth 1 Kings 21 3 when Ahab required of him his Vineyard eyther by way of sale or exchange he answered The Lord forbid it mee that I should giue the inheritance of my fathers to thee Thus doth God ordaine that euery mans Land should keep and continue within his owne tribe and not passe from tribe to tribe which would bring much confusion and an intermingling of one tribe with another all which were peculiar to this people Thirdly God ordained it as a statute also in Israel that the eldest should haue a double portion of all that a man hath because hee is the beginning of his strength therefore the right of the first borne is his this is grounded vpon the same reasons that this is yet who accounteth this precisely imposed vpon all as a morall ordinance Nay M Dod exposit on 5. Command some of good note and name in the Church are of opinion that they should receiue the best portion that are best and inherite most that haue most grace in theyr hearts and therfore they take not this precept to be as a president to binde all posterity And if this do not necessarily binde why should the former Fourthly the words of the law in this place do not seeme to mee as a law of annexing the inheritance to these that it should not be lawfull to alter this course It is saide if a man dye and haue no sonne or if he dye and haue no daughter then shall the inheritance descend thus and thus but this hindreth not but a man while he liueth may by will or otherwise make conueyance of his estate and this law is nothing against such conueyance Lastly we find that the Israelites themselues did sometimes giue inheritance to their daughters euen while they had heyres males as appeareth in Caleb Iudg. 1 15. 1. Chron. 2 18. Salomon was not the eldest sonne of Dauid yet hee succeeded his father in his kingdome and had more then all the rest To conclude if grace must haue the first place vertue must make the heyre then nature must giue place to grace But to leaue this doubt Doctrine Propriety of goods is the ordinance of God let vs come to the Doctrine for heereby wee learne that the propriety of goods is the ordinance and blessing of God he hath appointed that men should haue theyr possessions peculiar to themselues in this life So did Abraham buy a possession for buriall and paied for it currant money among Merchants Gen. 23 16 he layde no clayme to it before he had purchased it as if it had beene no lesse his thē any other The Patriarkes chalenged as proper to themselues the Welles which by theyr owne labour and industry they had digged and complained of wrong and violence when they were taken from them Gen. 26. To this end did God appoint that euery Tribe should haue inheritance giuen them by lot Hence it is also that wee reade that the faithfull haue had possessions and retained their possessions and are saide many of them to bee exceeding rich to haue possession of flocks possession of heards and great store of seruants and others are saide to become great to haue siluer and gold and iewels Gen. 26 24 as Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Obadiah and infinit others In the New Testament wee reade of Iohn the Euangelist of Ioseph of Arimathea a Disciple of Christ who honoured the buriall of his Master of Lazarus raised vp by Christ his two sisters of Simon the leaper of Ioanna of Susanna and these liued in the daies of Christ and had possessions After his ascension many beleeuers solde theyr possessions Tabitha was full of good works Cornelius the Captain gaue much almes to all the people Philemon and Philip and sundry others all which professing and some of them preaching the Gospel are no where commanded to abiure their possessions and to renounce their houses and lands neyther did they betake themselues to a supposed community knowing that priuat possession and Christian profession stand together and do not one ouerthrow the other as hath bene plentifully declared elsewhere Reason 1 The grounds of this doctrine are very apparent First God approueth of buying and selling or else the first Christians might not haue solde their possessions and taken money for them and they did alienate them from them not because they could not lawfuly be possessed but because the poore should be releeued Act. 4 34. The Lord likewise giueth rules in the Law for the right ordering thereof Leuit. 25 15. Secondly God commandeth almesgiuing to the people as an holy and Christian dutie which he also promiseth to reward to a cuppe of cold water Matth 10. and euery where he commendeth the releeuing of the wants and necessities of their poore brethren threatneth the contrary Deut. 15 11. Thirdly hee forbiddeth stealing and wronging one of another in temporall things and hurting one an other in their goods Exod. 20 15. As also the defrauding one of another Mark 10 19. Lastly euery man hath his children proper to himselfe euery man knoweth his owne children and can say These are mine these are not mine Now children are part of their fathers goods as appeareth Iob 1 As then they are proper vnto euery man so also ought other goods that euery man may know his owne Vse 1 This reprooueth the Anabaptists that would bring in a communion or rather a confusion of all things who while they goe about to
women that had not knowne man which escaped the edge of the sword Here then wee may behold the misery that befell these Midianites for seducing Gods people and drawing them to whore dome and idolatry Doctrine Iniquity maketh the Lord to destroy people Nations Kingdomes Learne heereby that the iniquity of a people or a countrey and nation maketh the Lord to destroy them and to lay them waste sometime by the sword of the enemy as in this place sometimes by other iudgements as Deut. 7 1. where the Lord telleth the people of Israel that they should cast out and destroy many Nations and afterward chap. 9 4 he willeth them not to say that it was for their owne righteousnesse that the Lord had brought them to possesse that land but it was for the wickednesse of those Nations that hee did driue them out before them Againe in the eight chap. and the twentieth verse hee sayeth If thou forsake the Lord and walke after other gods and serue them then I testifie to thee this day that thou shalt surely perish because ye would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God So 1 Sam. 12 25 If ye shal still do wickedly yee shall perish both you and your king Mat. 23 37 38. Reason 1 The Reasons follow First they dishonour God in their liues and therefore it is iust that he should depriue them of those blessings that they enioy and make others to enioy the labours of their hands and in stead of them lay iudgements and plagues vpon them A sonne that dishonoureth his father is vnworthy to receiue any duty from a seruant So certainly it is iust with God that such as dishonour him should be depriued of his protection be left naked vnto all iudgements Reason 2 Secondly Gods iustice doth so require that where there is a generall corruption and deprauation there should be a generall desolation and where the corruption is particular the iudgement should also bee answerable When God tolde Abraham that hee would destroy Sodome and Gomorrha hee reasoneth in this manner Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked No saith God but if thou canst finde ten righteous persons I will spare the Cities for tens sake Gen. 18 verse 32. But he could finde none but Lot they had generally corrupted their waies It is not enough thogh some repent and turne vnto God those few may deferre a iudgement but they cannot keepe away iudgment for euer so long as the general state is corrupted If one man or a few forsake their sinnes it is enough that they escape the eternall punishment though they do fall into the temporall and do not saue deliuer the whole I say they haue enough if they saue themselues and haue ample fruit of their conuersion though they saue none of all the rest Reason 3 Thirdly this will make manifest the power of God Exemplary iustice may be shewed on a few but power is shewed when there are many offenders For as it is in his power to saue with few as well as with many 1 Sam. 14 6 so in this case it is the power of his iustice to destroy many A small power of a Prince will serue to destroy and subdue a small company of rebels but then is the power of a Prince manifested and openly shewed when Rebels are growne to an head and haue gotten vnto themselues some strong holde so it is vvith God the more opposition is made agaynst him the more is the glory of his power set forth when hee draweth out the sword of iustice against them The Vses remaine First of all Gods prouidence Vse 1 is heereby notably established that his eyes are vpon all men and vpon al their waies because hee destroyeth multitudes as well as particular persons His iudgements are euermore iust and that could not be except that there were cause why to destroy There must bee a cause and also a knowne cause forasmuch as though men were wicked if Gods all-seeing eye were not vpon them or if hee knew no cause he should be vniust if he shold destroy Nadab and Abihu that durst presume to rush into the presence of GOD with their strange Fire Leuit. chapt 2. verses 1 2. euen in the very act of their sinne the speciall prouidence of God came vpon them so that before they had finished their sin the plague began So it was with Ananias and Sapphira they were smitten downe with sodain death the lye was no sooner out of their mouth but the iudgement of God did lay hold on them For they fell downe and gaue vp the ghost Acts 5 5 10. Thus Gods almighty power ouer-reacheth the sinne of man with punishment before euer it be quite committed of which we saw a notable and fearefull example before in the Israelites the 11. chapter and the 33. ver recorded also in the 78. Psalme verses 29 30. They did eate and were well filled for he did giue them their owne desire but while theyr meate was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came vpon them and slew and smote downe the chosen men of Israel Herod the King likewise while hee was in his pompe and pride was smitten of God in the very acte of his sinne while hee tooke to himselfe the glory due to God Acts 12. These such like punishments do plainly argue the prouidence of God to be ouer the waies of men and ouer all their actions doth continually waite vpon them Secondly it reprooueth those that magnifie Vse 2 themselues gather themselues together against God thinking to preuaile escape for their multitude sake This is no plea to protect our selues neither giueth any hope of deliuerance from iudgement but rather prouoketh God the more against vs. God bringeth in the people of Israel vanting thus Son of man they the inhabit those wasts of the land of Israel speak saying Abraham was one he inhabited the Land but we are many the land is giuen vs for an inheritance Ezek. 33 24. The Iewes that remained after the destruction of the City had their eies blinded with carnall security and perswaded themselues that albeit they hardened their hearts against the chastisements of God and repented not at the preaching of the prophets yet they should possesse the land and dwell in it whatsoeuer Ieremy Ezekiel and other Prophets pratled to the contrary And thus they reasoned If Abraham that was but one had the land promised vnto him then much more shall we haue it that are many Howbeit the Lord reproueth them for this presumption telleth them that their multitude shal nothing helpe them because they are not the sonnes and heirs of Abraham forasmuch as they did not the workes of Abraham but did wilfully transgresse the law of God Multitude therefore is not a note of the true Church neyther can they deliuer or excuse offenders from the wrath of God because when maine sinne many also shall bee punished
from dangers acknowledge that it is Gods preseruation and be thankfull for it This should put vs in minde of two things first that if wee happen to liue vnder such a iudgement we must stoope down our neckes vnder this yoake and humble our selues vnder the most mighty hand of God that hath brought so fearfull a iudgement vpon vs. For if we thinke it to be a iudgement when the earth bringeth not foorth her fruite vnto vs then much more may wee thinke it to bee a iudgement when the earth is not able to beare a man but casteth and vomiteth him out into captiuity as the stomack doth grosse and euill humors out of the bodie For this cause doeth the Lord charge the Israelites to keepe his statutes and his iudgements That the Land do not spew them out also when they defile it as it spewed out the Nations that were before them Leuit. chapter 18. verse 25 28. 20. verse 22. And afterward he sheweth that if they did not walke obediently before him the land whither hee bringeth them to dwell therein should spew them out as Reu. 3 16. Of all iudgements to bee carried into captiuity is one of the greatest The very mercies of the wicked are cruelty Dauid made choyse to be vnder the plague and pestilence rather then to flye before the enemy because hee is vnmercifull Wee sit vnder our owne Vines and Figge-trees wee haue seene no inuasion nor heard any complainings in our streetes wee know not what bondage meaneth or to bee carried captiues into a strange Land howbeit it is apparent that wee haue beene very neere vnto it as neere to the pit as could bee and yet not fallen into the same For if the Gunne-powder Treason had taken place which was verie neere vnto the time appointed for the execution of it we had long ere this beene in slauery and bondage againe vnto the bloodie Papists who haue long lyen in waite for such a day and albeit that be defeated and all theyr imaginations bee scattered as chaffe before the winde yet who knoweth how neere we may bee to as great captiuity Wee are secure and put away the euill day farre from vs but the greater our security is the neerer our captiuity may bee We haue close and secret enemies amongest vs neuer more lusty and neuer more couragious then they are at this day which are left to remaine amongst vs to be prickes in our eyes and Thornes in our sides and to vex vs in the Land wherein wee dwell verse 55. These neuer leaue plotting and conspiring our ouerthrow and destruction Wee heare of rumours of Warre abroad and spreadings of errours and heresies which threaten ruine both to Church and Common-wealth these are but the beginnings of sorrow Againe if we looke vnto our selues our sinnes are very great and call continually for vengeance vnto heauen at Gods hands and no doubt he is comming downe to see whether wee haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto him All these laide together and weighed as it were in a ballance what can wee in reason and iustice expect but that GOD deliuer vs into the enemies hands and suffer them to carry vs captiue and so make slaues and bondmen of vs Secondly if any desire to enioy the land wherein hee dwelleth in peace and safety let him labour not to pollute and defile it by his sinnes The Iewes had a promise of God to be his people yet because of their sinnes he suffered them to bee carried into captiuity where they remained long in a strange land Haue we any greater priuiledge then they or may we expect to escape No if wee follow them in contempt of the word and other open sinnes wee shall bee sure to follow them also in the punishment which will be answerable to our iniquities Lastly this assureth vs that as GOD deliuereth his people from temporall danger and bondage so hee will deliuer them much more from spirituall bondage For if he will deliuer our bodies hee will much more deliuer our soules that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1 74 75. Wherefore wee ought patiently to waite his leysure knowing that if hee haue such a speciall care of our bodies that must lye in the dust to set them free from temporall bondage hee will much rather deliuer our soules from spirituall bondage wherein Satan holdeth vs. When Christ our Sauiour would shew that hee came to redeeme the soules of men hee taught them by deliuering their bodies from diseases For when hee restored sight to the blinde by opening their eyes what did it signifie but that hee came to scatter the darknesse of the minde and to make them see that before saw not the light of the truth as Math. 4 16 The people that sate in darknesse saw great light and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung vp The Prophets in the time of the Law smote the people with blindnes that they knew not what they did neyther whither they went 2 Kings 6 18 as the Angels did the Sodomites so that they wearied themselues to finde the doore Gen. 19 11. But Christ to shew that hee came to seeke and to saue that which is lost restored sight to the blinde and opened the eyes of their vnderstandings when hee healed the bodies of such as were lame and halted what was it but a teaching of them that he came to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at liberty them that were bruised When hee raised some to life from the dead what did it teach and shew but that hee is able to raise out of the graue of sinne and to giue the life of the spirit When hee cleansed the lepers what was it but a making knowne to the world that hee will cleanse from the foule and filthy leprosie of sinne And when he did cast out diuels that possessed the bodies of men what was it but to shew that he casteth the diuels out of the hearts and consciences where they desire to dwell as in an house If then it be no small comfort vnto vs to know that the Lord will deliuer his people from an earthly bondage certainely it cannot but minister much more comfort vnto vs to consider that the Lord is more careful of our soules and if hee be mindfull of vs for things of this life hee cannot be forgetfull of vs for the life to come seeing hee hath sent his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all which beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 7 And they remoued from Etham and turned againe to Pihahiroth c. 8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea c. 9 And they remoued from Marah and came vnto Elim c. 9 And they remoued
to iudge the quick and dead 1 Peter 44 5. It is noted concerning Christ by the Euangelist that before hee entred vpon the worke of his high calling to preach the Gospel and shewed himselfe a Redeemer to Israel hee increased in wisdome and stature and grew in fauour with God and man Luke 2 52 but when once hee left his priuate life in the priuate houfe of Ioseph where hee was brought vp and set vpon the office whereunto he was appointed albeit hee continued in the fauour of God as his onely begotten Sonne in whom he is well pleased Matthew 3 17 yet he grew out of fauour with men who were not contented with him Paul before his conuersion was in great estimation with the Pharisees and obtayned letters of them to put in prison all them that called vpon the Name of Christ but when hee beganne to preach faith in Christ which before hee persecuted and sought to destroy hee lost theyr fauour and friendship as appeareth in that they plotted his death and sought his life to take it away more vehemently and violently then hee had practised against the disciples Let vs not therefore thinke it strange that we meete with many enemies cunning subtill cruell and malicious but seeke to be at peace with God and reconciled vnto him and then if God be with vs who shall be against vs Rom. 8 31. Vse 5 Fiftly the enemies of Israel albeit they were ouerthrowne and defeated yet were not all discomfited and consumed at once but by little and little sometimes one and then afterward another as they did not arise and appeare all together so it is euermore with his Church to the end of the world We shall neuer be without some enemies God will euer try the faith and patience of his children When Dauid sate at home and went not to warre against his enemies he was surprized by a subtill enemy whom he neuer suspected and fell into two grieuous sinnes adultery and murther 2 Sam. 11 1 4 1 Chron. 20 1. The water by standing still gathereth filth mud and corruption The iron by lying still gathereth râ—st The Church free from enemies oftentimes groweth secure and the godly are ready to say in their prosperity they shall neuer be remoued Psal 30 6. Let all the wicked therefore know that their peace and prosperity cannot giue them assurance though they endure long of the fauour and loue of God but hee will bring downe his iudgements vpon them when they haue filled vp the measure of their sins And albeit for a time they escape yet they are appointed to wrath and destruction forasmuch as the Lord is iealous and the Lord auengeth hee will take vengeance on his aduersaries and he reserueth wrath for his enemies Nah. 1 2. Yea thus it shall be with the spirituall enemies of our soules and of our saluation albeit they haue receiued their deathes wound and are crushed in the head that they can neuer fully recouer their streÌ„gth but shall finally be subdued yet they are alwayes hissing and stinging they are trying tempting the members of Christ So long as we are Christs wee must looke for the diuell and his Angels to set themselues against vs. They will take no denyall or repulse but being beaten and vanquished will gather their forces and vnite their power together to build vp the kingdome of darknes When he tempted Christ in the wildernesse and receiued a notable foyle and glorious ouerthrow in all those seuerall combats and had ended his tentations that he had prepared hee departed from him but a little season Luke 4 13. As he dealt with the head in the wildernesse so he dealeth with the members in this world wee must neuer looke to bee wholly ridde of this importunate enemy Whensoeuer he leaueth vs it is not as a confession that hee is vtterly conuicted and confounded for it fareth with him as with one that wrastled Plutarch in vit who how soeuer hee spedde would alwayes perswade the standers by that he gaue him the fall and foile that buckled and clasped with him and so it is when we wrastle with these principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses in high places they will neuer yeeld the victory but rather gather their broken and disbanded companies leuy new forces prouide and procure stronger weapons and make better prouision and preparation against vs. If then he depart from vs and breake vp his siege it is not to free vs from danger and to take a truce with vs but to muster a fresh army and to take vs at an aduantage if hee see vs to grow secure and therefore let vs neuer promise rest vnto our selues from his assaults so long as we continue heere and carry about vs this earthly Tabernacle but alwayes stand vpon our gard and in our watch-tower to be ready for his comming and returning that so resisting him being strong in faith he may flye from vs Iam. 4 7. 1 Pet. 5 8 9. Yea let this serue as a great comfort and consolation to those that haue experience of his manifold assaults and inuasions that they neuer distrust or despaire though their troubles be many though their tentations be great continuall seeing this was the lot and portion of Iesus Christ the Sonne of GOD Who shall treade downe Satan vnder their feete shortly Rom. 16 20. Lastly the people of Israel after the enduring Vse 6 of all their troubles and afflictions after the experience of many sorrowes and miseries that came vpon them had rest giuen vnto them and victory ouer all their enemies round about them so that they were safely brought into the land of promise where they inherited and possessed cities that they builded not Deut. 6 10 11 houses full of all maner goods which they filled not welles which they digged not vineyards and oliues which they planted not and saw all the good things performed which the Lord had promised vnto them This serueth to comfort the children of God though for a time they sustaine many iniuries beare many disgraces receiue many losses feele many pinches instraightments yea many fierce and fiery tryals it is but while they wander in the wildernesse they are not yet come into Canaan the place of rest howbeit the blessednes of the issue and end of all will fully recompence the hardnesse of the way and make amends and satisfaction for all their sorrowes being fully assured that the afflictions of this present world are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs hereafter for then God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes Rom. 8 19. Reuel 7 16 17. Thus God giueth comfort to his seruants after they haue beene humbled in this vale of misery They shall hunger no more they shall thirst no more they shall want no more Then this corruptible shall put on incorruption this mortall shall put on immortality and death shall be swallowed vp in victory 1 Cor. 15 53 54. This made
Corne yet suffereth the poore to famish for want of food deserueth iustly the curse of God and man Prou. 11 26. Wheras blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth it In like manner the Ministers that are rich in grace and well stored with knowledge who seeke nothing but to ingrosse more into their hands but will part from nothing at all haue cause to feare to be accursed of God man whereas they shall be blessed praised in the gate that make others partakers of their store Wherefore let all such consider the commandement of God to preach the word oftentimes repeated and vrged to the Prophets Es 58 1. Motiues to perswade the Ministers to diligence in their Calling and to the Apostles and other Ministers of the word Math. 28 19. If then we regard what the Lord saith vnto vs we must hearken to his voyce Secondly hereby we testifie our loue to Christ who hath deerely loued vs Iohn 21 15. God hath so loued vs that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but gaue him to the death for vs and therefore wee are most vnthankfull wretches if we doe not loue him againe but we cannot testifie our loue to him more then by feeding his Sheepe and his Lambes Thirdly we haue committed to our charge the price of the blood of Christ the soules of mē which he bought at a deare rate Acts 20 28. Fourthly the Ministery of the word is the ordinary meanes ordayned for the building planting the enlarging strengthening the vpholding and continuing of the Church of God 1 Pet. 1 ver 23 25. Fiftly there is a gracious promise of a very great reward made vnto those men that are faithfull and gaine soules to their master for they shall shine as the Starres for euer and euer Dan. chap. 12. verse 3 and when the great sheepheard of the sheepe appeareth they shall appeare with him in glory 1 Peter chap. 5. verse 4. and be made heires of al their masters riches Mat. chap. 24 verses 45 46 1 Tim. 4 16. 2 Tim. 4 7 8. Sixtly all such as are negligent watchmen haue a fearefull woe denounced against them because while they feede themselues vnto the full they suffer the flocke to starue Ezek. 34 2. 1 Cor. 9.16 Seuenthly such as haue gifts and doe not vse them haue them in Gods iust iudgment taken from them Matth. 25 28 Zach. 11 17. For as such as vse and employ the talent that God hath giuen them haue his gifts increased in a plentifull measure so they that burie theyr knowledge and zeale and neuer bring them forth they are so weakned and wasted in them that in the end they vanish away as smoke and come to nothing as is too too euident in many of our times Lastly they bring destruction and damnation vpon themselues and the people Ezech. 34 8 10. Matth. 25 10. 9 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 10 Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them when ye bee come ouer Iordan into the land of Canaan 11 Then yee shall appoint you Cities to bee Cities of refuge for you that the Man-slayer may flee thither which killeth any person at vnawares 12 And they shall be vnto you Citties for refuge from the auenger that the man-slayer dye not c. 13 And of these c. 14 Yee shall giue three Cities on this side Iordan and three Cities shall yee giue in the land of Canaan c. 15 These six Cities shall be for refuge The commandement of God touching the setting apart of Cities for the Leuites hath before bene considered in general now he speaketh in particular of the Cities of refuge taken out of the former Cities wherein wee see the number of them the end wherefore they were appointed and the places where they are to be taken Of murther voluntarily and wilfully committed Moses speaketh in the words following such persons must be pulled from the Altar Deut. 19 and put to death but when blood is shed at vnawares there is libertie to flye to one of these Cities of refuge Whereby we see that there is difference between sinne and sinne betweene such as are committed ignorantly and those that are done voluntarily And therefore wee may conclude from hence that all sinnes are not equall Touching the auenger of blood we shal speak more afterward howbeit here we see that he which had killed another at vnawares was in danger to be pursued ouer-taken and slaine by the next of kinne as wel as he that had shed mans blood wilfully True it is God alloweth not that the kinsman of him that is slaine should take away the life of him that was guilty but such was the malice and corruption of men that they would be ready to adde murther to murther that blood should touch blood vnlesse some place of safety had beene prouided This teacheth vs Doctrine All men by nature are prone to reuenge That howsoeuer God hath made vs keepers of the liues one of another yet by nature we thirst after reuenge and are neuer quiet vntill it bee satisfied Heereunto come the many precepts which God giueth to forbid reuenge which hee would neuer so often repeate were it not that hee knoweth the inclination of our hearts Deutero chap. 32 35. Rom. 12 17 19 and 1 29 31. 1 Thes 2 15 16. Prous 12 10. Such an one was Cain Iudas Saul Herod Pharaoh yea such are all persecuters and all heretikes And not onely men vnregenerate are of an hatefull and malicious disposition but such as otherwise haue receyued the spirit of adoption and the grace of sanctification do yet carry about them the body of sinne and the corruptions of the olde Adam as we see in the brethren of Ioseph who for enuy sold him into Egypt Gen. 37 28. Acts 7 ver 9. And in Dauid otherwise a man after Gods heart for when hee had receyued euill words for his good deedes at the hands of Nabal 1 Sam. 25 22. he sware God do so more also to the enemies of Dauid If I leaue any aliue of all that pertaine to him by the morning light and so hee prepared himselfe his men for present and speedy reuenge And no maruell seeing the nature of man Reason 1 is prone to all euill and all the imaginations of his heart are onely euill continually Gen. 6 verse 5. and 8. verse 21. For malice aboue other things is a naturall fruite of the flesh delighting and pleasing our corruption Galat. 5 21. Iames 4 5. Hence it is that we are sayd to serue our lustes and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuy hateful hating one another Tit. 3 3. Secondly by nature satan getteth the possession of vs who hath bene a fierce dragon a mercilesse Lyon a cruell murtherer from the beginning Iohn 8 44. Our Sauiour remembereth vnto the Iewes why they were a murtherous generation and telleth them They were of their father the diuell And
indeed one of them is what are these to the streame and current of the lerned writers which this age hath brought forth who as it were with one mouth their pennes and tongues not diuided doe hold and maintaine confidently and constantly the lawfulnesse of this marriage And first I produce among this cloud of witnesses Iohn Caluin Iohn Caluine whom we named before who in the interpretation of the precept not to come neere any of the kindred of our flesh hath these words Non omnes consanguineas hoc nomen complectitur Com. in 7. praecept c That is These words do not comprize all kinsfolks because it is permitted to the cousin germans either of the fathers or of the mothers side to marry his cousin german either of the fathers or mothers side This matter he maketh so cleere that in the 385. Epistle he sayth of it thus Quod lege dei mandatum est c. that is It is not lawfull to call in question that which is commanded in the Law of God as he taketh the freedom of cousin germans to be for seeing it is not forbidden we are commanded and enioyned to account the same to be left free for all men and thereupon he giueth this resolution that in this matter our consciences remaine free before God so that in his harmony vpon the bookes of Moses Com. in Leuit. cap 18 18. he termeth it diabolica Papae superbia qui nouos excogitando propinquitatis gradus supra deum sapere voluit A diuellish pride of the Pope who deuising new degrees of kindred would make himselfe wiser then God himselfe Now that which he speaketh farther tending to any restraint of this match of cousin germanes is in respect of the positiue Law of the Magistrate which is the law of man not of God and of the long vse of the contrary in both which respects offence is taken at the practise of it and therefore with them to bee forborne Howbeit these things do no way touch vs neyther can challenge any place in our kingdome where we haue no law of man to forbid vs no disuse or long discontinuance of it to discourage vs neither any offence of learned or vnlearned to disswade vs therefore wee are no way bound in conscience equity or charity to renounces that kinde of marriage For the question is not with vs what is at all times and in all places and toward all persons conuenient but simply of the lawfulnesse of it Beza The iudgement of Beza accordeth with the former testimony and serueth as amply and fully to depose and witnesse this trueth of which wee haue spoken before Peter Martyr shall be the next Peter Martyr professour of diuinity among vs in the late dayes of K. Edward for howsoeuer some deliuer out that he is a man indifferent or doubtfull and vncertaine in his opinion it is certaine a matter out of doubt that these men neuer reade him with iudgement but with partiality For being themselues enemies in this case and hauing taught the vnlawfulnesse thereof they would draw all other also eyther to be enemies thereunto or haue them to sit still as silent and to stand by as newters But the truth is hee is as resolute as the former for the lawfulnesse of such mariages by the law of God as appeareth by a large discourse in the first of the Iudges out of the law of God the Romans and sheweth the same not to be vnlawfull but to be exempted out of the prohibition For speaking of the marriage of Achsah with Othniel of which wee haue spoken before he sheweth that if these two were brothers children their marriage was lawfull Non enim diuinis legibus coniugium inter â—stos vsquam fuit prohibitum that is By Gods law marriage betweene such was neuer forbidden And afterward reprouing the opinion of Ambrose who disliked the same thee faith Quod verò Ambrosius c. And whereas Ambrose affirmeth that such marriage is prohibited by the law of God no man can allow thereof that aduisedly considereth either the law of God or the deeds of the Fathers Can any thing be plainer then this or can any man deliuer his minde more expresly So then to passe from him I come to Lewes Lauater of Tigurine Ludo. Lauater a iudicious and painefull man he expounding the 15 of Ioshua saieth Si Othniel Achsa consobrinus fuit c. If Othniel were Achsaes cousen german hee might marry her to wife but if he were her vncle he could not by the law Thus doth hee also speake of the same man and the same marriage in his Commentaries vpon the Iudges where he saith It appeareth by other places Comm. in Iud. that they were cousen germans and therefore marriage might bee consummated betweene them by the Law To him I will adde Zepperus Minister of the Church at Herborne he affirmeth Leg. Mosai ex plan lib. 4. c. 19 that the Law of God is so farre from forbidding the marriage of cousin germans that it propoundeth sundry examples thereof and after he had produced the practise of it in those we named before to wit Iacob and Othniel Gen. 29 12 13 19. Ioshua 15 17. Iudg. 1 12. hee alledgeth other also that Rehoboom tooke to wife Mahalath the daughter of Ierimoth the sonne of Dauid and likewise Abihail the daughter of Eliab the sonne of Iesse who was the father of Dauid 2 Chron. 11 ver 18. So in the new Testament Ioseph and Mary the blessed virgin were cousin germans Matth. 1. ver 15. Luke 3 23 24 Euseb eccl hist lib. 1. cap. 8. and so doth Eusebius testifye the same in his ecclesiasticall history out of a certaine Epistle of Africanus to Aristides For Matthan begate two sonnes Iacob and Heli as appeareth in the places before named out of the Euangelists Iacob begate Ioseph and Heli â—egaâ— Mary Ioâ—â—ph Mary were brothers children And thus both Matthew and Luke are fully and fiâ—ly reconciled for whereas oâ—e sayth Ioseph was the sonne of Iacob the other saith he was the sonne of Heli it is certaine he could not bee both in one and the some respect and therefore it must be taken in a diuerse consideration and that is in this maner hee was the naturall sonne of Iacob but legall sonne of Heli hee was the sonne of Iacob by consanguinity but the sonne of Heli by light of affinity that is his sonne in Law becaâ—se hee married his daughter Mary as also Naomi calleth her daughters in law her owne daughters and Dauid calleth Saul his father 1 Sam. 24 11 and Saul him his sonne ver 16 Neyther doth the ancient ciuill law condemn these marriages Lib. 1 instit tit 10 de nuptijs The Law of Iustinian is extant touching marriages which is this The children of two brethren or two sisters or of the brother and sister may lawfully be ioyned together in marriage The same Law was